Outsider
by Fingoscript
Summary: What does a serial killer, an alleged Hell Queen and a flower peddler have in common? Harry Dresden of course. TV version
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"Harry…"

I should have sensed something was wrong when I heard Bob's voice. Everything looked normal when I unlocked the door to my lab and entered putting my hockey stick in its place. It's funny that I can carry around a hockey stick in Chicago and hardly get a raised eyebrow, but carry a staff carved with runes and sigils and people run the other way. Go figure. A little glamour spell goes along way with normal folks.

Everything looked normal when I raised the flames of the candles for more working light. I brushed a few papers and stones from my work table and began unwrapping the frail tattered cloth that hopefully would end my search for my client and in return deliver to me a nice hefty check.

"Harry…"

The second time Bob called out should have been enough for me to notice. Hey, I was way past tired; couldn't remember when I ate last; and as always I was working on a deadline that was looming over my head.

"Bob, what is it?" Raising my voice impatiently. "Can't you see I'm working here?"

Finally I noticed that Bob hadn't come out of his skull. His ethereal body would normally have been out to find out the latest news and happenings. It's not like he had anything else to do with his time.

I straightened up and looked at the old yellow skull. "Bob, would you get out here before I break your ..."

Black smoke curled from one of the eye sockets and quickly gathered into his familiar form. Bob was definitely shaken. He doesn't get rattled normally. I mean, come on, he has no physical body, he's a centuries-old spirit trapped in a skull in my workroom. What could possibly have frightened him?

"Harry, we are not alone."

Startled, I shook down my bracelet and willed some of my fear into it, wondering if I had time to grab my staff. I scanned the room more carefully. Everything. Looked. Normal. There were jars, bottles and boxes on the shelves and the tables. Organized clutter is what I call it. It may look like a mess to others but things were exactly where I knew them to be.

The ward candles remained unchanged. I relaxed a bit and brought my attention back to the ghost.

"Bob?" I followed his eyes past the table where there was a faint glow coming from the wide empty space at the far end. I slowly and quietly reached for my staff, powering it up as I made my way gingerly around the table to stare at my summoning ring.

"Bob, you want to tell me what's going on here?"

The summoning ring was just that. A. Summoning. Ring. A copper ring inlaid to my concrete floor. It was a one-way street to call up all kinds of nasties or anything else that might be a little disagreeable. It was My summoning ring. I don't use it often. The High Council rather frowns on its use. It borders on Black Magic and to be caught summoning up a nasty demon or something could bring a harsh penalty. My standing isn't the greatest with the High Council so I try to keep my summonings short and to the point. In my line of work sometimes you have to walk the shadowy grey line to get information.

"Harry, you got to believe me, I had absolutely nothing to do with this."

I glanced back at Bob who had not taken a step closer, before I returned my eyes back to the ring, more exactly to the hooded figure that was slumped against the magical barrier the unbroken ring provided. "Bob, you didn't summon it?"

Bob looked hurt. "You know that I wouldn't; that I can't."

I knew that. It would have been a lot simpler if he could. "So tell me what you did do?"

Bob started pacing trying to recall the details, glancing at me and then to the figure and back to me again. "I don't know where to begin. After you left this morning, I began searching for the vanquishing potion just as you had asked, remember?"

"Yah, yah, go on."

I walked around the ring trying to get a better look. It was hard to tell whether it was a man or woman or even human. The thing was wearing a dark hooded cloak, appeared human-like, small built, possibly five, five and half feet. Feet, hands and face, if it had any, were all hidden in the volume of the fabric. If physical appearance were the only factor I would have a fighting chance to subdue this thing if it got out of the ring. Knowing what I know about preternatural beings, size means nothing when it comes to magical power.

Bob continued, "Totally immersed in my laborious research, I failed to see anything until the flames soared." He stopped and shuttered. "Harry, I don't know anything that can cross over uncalled."

"Get on with it, Bob."

"Well then it hit me."

I jumped back and stared at Bob, "What do you mean, it HIT you?"

"The whole room was filled with… with… light, blinding, blaring light." Bob chewed on his unreal finger. "I could feel it. I could feel it, Harry! It was absorbing me. I fled."

After a moment or three I broke the silence, "Well, it looks like you survived."

Bob shot me a futile glance. "Harry, please be careful, I don't know what it will do when it wakes up. I don't know if it is contained in the ring."

I closed my eyes to concentrate. Containment. Right. I rummaged through the shelves until I found the bag. Picking up some gems as well I began working. It wasn't long before I had completed two salt and crystal circles around the first copper one.

"Try to get out of that," I said smugly.

I finished cleaning the runes and delivered them to my client in spite of Bob's protest. It's been asleep for nearly six hours. A couple of more hours wouldn't hurt. Maybe it likes eight hours like normal folks. I couldn't remember when I slept a full eight but I never said I was normal. And neither was this thing. The Tri-Ring Ward was known to restrain every known bad guy around so I wasn't surprised to return to my place with everything in place and intact.

Bob had calmed down somewhat. He glanced at the motionless form and then to me. "There has been nothing, nada, nienta, nichts."

"Okay, gotcha, it's still getting its beauty sleep." I grabbed a large old book and slammed it down on the table causing dust to fly and Bob to jump. "Time to wake up, sleepyhead."

"Harry!"

"Later Bob, I'm tired of waiting for this thing to gather more strength." I fired up my trusty staff and pointed it at the now stirring figure. "It's now or never, sweetheart, show me what you got."

The thing uncurled slowly. Pale human feet emerged from the bottom of the robe as did slender hands from the sleeves. It rose gracefully to its feet, letting the robe once again cover its hands and feet. It stood there perfectly still, head bowed and hidden, sensing its surroundings.

I willed more power into my staff as my neck hairs prickled. A gentle caress like a subtle breeze brushed against me. Pleasurable as it was, it was still an intrusion. This creature's magic had crossed the circle of protection. That angered and frightened the hell out of me.

"Harry, I feel it on me again." Bob's fear returned to his voice.

Get in your skull, Bob."

"Are you sure?" Bob offered, "I don't know what I can do but…"

"Bob, that's a command." I will take all the help I can get but I wasn't going to take unneccessary risks. With Bob safely back in his skull I returned my focus on this human-like being in front of me.

"Hi there, so glad that you drop in, if I knew you were coming I would have cleaned up a bit."

The soft female voice spoke in a language that was unfamiliar. Whoa, that's unnerving. I wasn't expecting such a warm sensual sound.

I've been around this block once or twice so you can't trick me with the sweetness. I'm familiar with the charms of the various courts of Vampires and the Fae as well as the illusions of other more vicious creatures. So hey, what's one more nasty trying to pretend to be nice.

"That sounds like an ancient form of Latin," Bob called out from his skull.

I know Latin or at least a little. What kind of creature speaks Latin anymore? Bob is better at ancient everything.

"Bob, get out here and talk to this thing then."

"Quisnam es vos?" Bob asked for her name.

The female responded. "Meus nomen est Sallamatrgafreth."

Hells bells, either this creature was lying or this was one stupid monster. Names have power. Tremendous power. I can use this, if I needed.

"Sallamargafeth, ostendo vestry."

"You didn't pronounce her name right," Bob whispered.

"Maybe she will reveal herself anyway, she doesn't seem to be the brightest candle on the stick."

She touched the protective shield that stood between her and me. It shimmered and flexed but stayed firm. I gripped my staff tighter. Slowly her hand withdrew from the barrier and reached for the clasp at her throat. Unfastening the robe and she let it fall to the floor.

That's not what I expected when I asked her to reveal herself.

I nearly dropped the staff. Bob let out an audible gasp as we both stared at the naked woman. She wasn't Greek goddess beautiful but she was curvy beautiful in all the right places. There was something about the woman that made her nudity seem natural to her. She wasn't embarrassed nor boastful of who she was but rather it was an innocuous attitude that enhance the vision.

I would have totally believed that there was a naked beautiful woman standing no more than three feet in front me if it wasn't for one little detail. She had no bellybutton. I closed my mouth and inhaled deeply. With everything so perfect who would notice a small thing like a navel. I would. And I did. No normal woman here. Someone was sloppy and forgot that little detail.

I had two options, either use my Sight and see her for who she truly was and have that image forever ingrained in my brain or I could met her halfway with a Soul gaze.

Soul gazing was not for the timid. If this thing was a monster from wherever, there would be no soul to see, nothing. The downside to that was this thing would get to gaze into my soul, see who I really was. I didn't want it to see the real me.

Before I got to the decision, she drew me into her eyes.

I found myself falling; falling through open space. Open dark space. I hit ground with a hard thump, knocking my breath out. When I was able to stand again I found myself in a bright sunny field of wildflowers. A peaceful breeze was blowing little butterflies around. I heard a child giggling. I followed the happy sounds to a large tree; a pretty little child was swinging and enjoying the ride. She looked at me and smile, a huge genuine grin. Then it was over.

When I looked again at Sally what's-her-name her eyes were large with fear. She rushed to put on the robe and crunched down on the far side of her prison.

"Harry, what did you do to her?"

"I didn't DO anything to her, she started it."

"A Soul gaze?" Bob drew a deep breath, "What did you find?"

"She's a child, Bob."

"Poor thing, no wonder looking at your soul scared her to death, I can only image."

I thought she's not the only one scared.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

I finished licking the back of the envelope that held the check for the rent. At least with the money from the runes I was able to pay off the arrearsof the past several months. Easy come, easy go, isn't that what they say? Yeah right. There hasn't been anything easy about the work I have been getting lately. I could use a break, a simple lost ring or wallet would be nice. It would give me enough money to stock my food supplies with more than just beer and chips. Now that I have a guest in the house I figure I should provide a tad better variety.

My house guest, Sally what's-her-name, totally baffles me. I mean, let's look at the facts here. Three days ago she arrives in my summoning ring, unsummoned, which Bob and I have never heard of happening before. She could be a model for a bikini ad except for that one little flaw- no belly button. She is not a demon, faery, vampire or other similar nasty that I have been able to detect, yet I feel tremendous power. She has the heart and soul of a child or pure innocence. She speaks an archaic language. She doesn't seem to be lying when she says she can't remember anything before arriving. And she thinks my spaghetti is the best thing that she has ever tasted. Weird, huh?

At least she is not under foot. I wouldn't even know she was here if it wasn't for the laughter coming from the lab every now and then. She is content to stay in the lab all day and night I'm not some kind of selfish S.O.B. and not let her sleep in my bed while I take the couch. I offered. She prefers to sleep in the summoning ring with the protection ward up. Maybe she thinks that she will disappear back to where she came from or that I scare the hell out of her. Who knows?

Bob is quite taken with her. Pretty sure that it isn't because she has an intuitive mind and supernatural powers. But who has he been able to share his life's story, listen to his revelries, impress with his arcane knowledge and wisdom but me? I have to admit that I take him for granted and treat him as a wizard's data base, rather than think of him as a lost spirit.

He has taken it upon himself to teach her English. You could call her a quick study if you didn't senses she uses some kind of thought transference or something. In a week or two she will have mastered the gist of the English language, probably better than most of the cabbies in Chicago.

"Bob, I'm heading down to the mailbox, be back in a few."

I had almost reached the door when Bob appeared in front of me. "Harry, I think this would be a great opportunity for Sally to get some fresh air, don't you think?"

Whoa, I'm not ready for this.

"What?"

"I said why don't you take Sally with you?"

"That's not what you said the first time."

Bob rolled his eyes. "Harry, whether you realize it or not, Sally is your responsibility and you can't keep her in the lab forever."

I told you I wasn't ready for this. I knew the answer before I asked. "How is she MY responsibility?"

"Harry, she was abandoned on your doorstep, more or less," Bob sighed. "You know that she has the gift and a very strong one at that. She can't stay here forever and she would be taken by who knows what if you turn her out on the streets." Bob started paces in front of me. "If the High Council found out about it, well…"

"Bob."

"… To think such a lovely creature being used and abu…"

"Bob!"

"Harry?"

"You had me at abandoned."

I turned and threw the letters back on my desk. In the back of my mind I had already had this conversation with myself. It did appear that Sally-what's-her-name was alone, afraid, and left to fend for herself. It didn't take long for my heartstrings to be pulled into remembrance that feeling and how quickly I became a pawn in my uncle greedy paws. There was one big difference.

"Bob, she is not a child."

"One look at her and any predator will see that."

"Bob!" I turned back at him, "That's not what I meant… exactly."

In one sense that is exactly what I meant. She was a hot, sensual being and oblivious to the kind of signals that she sent to the typical American male and to the dangers that involves, not to mention all those creepy mental psychotics.

Bob looked me over. "Is that why you have been ignoring her?"

"What are you talking about?" I scowled.

I'm pretty good at scowling if I have a good reason to scowl. But his question dug into my subconscious like a wooden spike. Sally's weirdness frightened me there was no question about that. I know that somehow or someway her arrival into my life is going to bite me in the shorts. But so is her sensuality. Hell's bells, why me.

I inhaled deeply and focused on gathering up my outgoing mail.

"Walk with her the two or three blocks to the postbox and back, what could possibly happen in such a short distance," Bob cajoled.

"She doesn't have any shoes."

A pair of old flip-flops rummaged from the back of my closet took care of the shoe problem temporarily. It was amazing how she could manage to walk without stumbling from the oversize flippers and the cloak that was a couple inches longer than she was.

After the fright of cars and the L-train was calmed and explained away the walk became a little more enjoyable. She wanted to know everything. I mean everything. The difference between apartment buildings, offices and shops. Why I incorporated both my living space with my business. Why there were so many people walking, driving, and just being on the streets. Why people had dogs on leashes rather than the other way around. It was entertaining to see her reach out and absorb the sights and sounds of my neighborhood.

I emptied my pockets of the few quarters I had while explaining how parking meters worked. Like a kid with a new toy, Sally was fascinated to see the little arrow go from expired to the two hour mark. When she realized that I had no more quarters she put her finger on the meter face where the coin would go in and the arrow flip to the full mark. I didn't have the heart to stop her.

We had started on the return walk when Sally stopped. One of the flip-flops should have flipped instead of flopped and was lying on the sidewalk behind her. Pulling the shoe up brought the resistance of chewing gum. She looked to me an explanation. I reached down to separate shoe from gooey mess when I saw a folded Franklin stuck in the situation.

What are the odds of a hundred dollar bill stuck to the concrete by gum? Maybe it was an instant karma rebate from the parking meters. I might get some groceries after all.

No sooner than it took for me to put Franklin in my wallet I felt our luck changing. And I meant felt. The hairs on the back on my neck notified me something wasn't quite right. I looked around and couldn't see anything unusual. Damn, I wasn't carrying my staff or wand. Hey, it's broad daylight; nasties don't usually come out to play until after dark settles in.

A street peddler was handing Sally a long stem rose.

"Sally, stop," I yelled.

I'm glad she is an obedient child. Scared and confused, but obedient. The street peddler hesitated.

Now street peddlers are common place on just about every street corner and off ramps of Chicago's busy roadways. Many good people make their living by selling good stuff to those that have stopped. There are also thieves, prostitutes and drug dealers selling their wares. I would have settled for anyone of those kinds of peddlers.

"Sir, just a lovely flower, for a lovely lady," the peddler voice spewed with sweetness.

"Get away from her." I stepped between Sally and the little scumbag.

The seller was a small guy. Balding grey hair, dark leathery skin, white shirt and black dress pants, nothing unusual there. I sensed a veil.

Veils are almost impossible to cast by human beings, I know of only a handful of wizards that can pull off a good veil, I'm not one of them. Some are glamour veils worn by the Fae, vampires and other such creatures to make them more appealing. Demons are very good at making veils.

The man bowed to me and smiled. "This is just a small token to the lady that has graced us with her beautiful smile and presence." Then his voice turned deep and raspy; his face distorted. "This is no concern of yours, wizard."

I was just about to lift him up by his collar and tell him where he can shove his token when I noticed two more of his friends, bigger and uglier friends, walk up behind Sally. I grabbed Sally instead and started walking away from the group.

The peddler yelled after us. "Go home, Scepter, you don't belong here."


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: All familiar looking characters belong to Jim Butcher and the Sci Fi channel. Furthermore I do not practice, encourage or condone the use of magic in RL. **

Chapter 3

Being a wizard does have some perks. Knowing that some people are more than what they appear to be is one of them. Knowing how to put wards up is another. Wards are shields, barriers, protection from the bad guys that want to do you harm. I have a bracelet from my mother that is warded. The banners at my front and back doors are warded. My banners can stop most of the creatures who want to put the hurt on me. Tonight, I was never so glad to be behind my wards once again.

Truth be told, if that demon or possible one of his hell spawns had followed us home there would have been little I could have done in stopping him from tearing us to pieces, with or without my wards.

Bob stuck his head out of the wall.

"Now wasn't that a pleasant wa…lk." He came all the out when he saw my face. "Harry, what happened?"

I went off on him.

"Oh, I just wanted to take a couple of minutes and run down to the mailbox and come back to my quiet little life here." I was lucky that I didn't have my blasting rod right now. With all this emotion I would have blown up a wall or maybe a skull. "But no, the ghost says to me why don't you take the girl out for some fresh air?"

I continued to rant, "I tell him she isn't a child and that I would rather not. But then he talks me into it, anyway. He tells me what could possibly happen in such a short distance."

It his most calming voice Bob tried again. "What happened, Harry?"

"Why don't you ask her?" I yelled and pointed at the frightened girl. I was too angry, too scared to see the pain that she was in.

Sally ran from the room and into lab. I followed her without really seeing her and grab my staff. She fled to her ring and thrown up the ward. I smirked. Good, at least one of us is protected now.

I slammed my staff down on my desk and slumped into my chair. I can be thankful that Bob was intelligent enough to not push me any farther at the moment.

I made some tea adding some calming potion to the brew. Finishing off the tea after a considerable amount of time, my stomach reminded me that tea was not a substitute for food. I pulled out the Franklin and smiled. At least the whole day wasn't complete wrecked. I headed for the door again and this time I didn't bother to tell Bob that I was going out to get some groceries.

The simple normal act of buying groceries went a long way in settling my nerves. So did the calming potion. It was quite late when I got back to my kitchen and started making some sandwiches. The candles had been lit but there was no sign of Bob and I didn't expect Sally to be anywhere but in her safety zone. I heaped a few sandwiches on a plate, threw on a few potato chips and made my way to the lab. It was pretty much dark there. I set the plate down and turned to go.

"Bob," I whispered as I closed the door to the lab and the sleeping woman huddled in the corner.

Being a grumpy wizard is who I am. I am not used to being nice. The kinds of things that I have to face on a regular basis aren't very nice either. Protecting people from those things that go bump in the night is something that I am good at. Being nice isn't one of the qualifications for the job. So why do I feel like such an ass right now?

Bob made his way to the kitchen as I was devouring my second ham and cheese. I gave him a weak smile to inform him that I was back to my normal grumpy self.

"Harry, are you alright?" Bob said cautiously.

"Yeah, Bob, I'm peachy." I tried to sound humorous but it came out rather caustic. "Sorry about earlier."

"No need to apologize to me."

"You think I should apologize to her?"

Bob raised his hands in defense. "I'm not thinking anything. Remember I still don't have a clue about what happened this afternoon."

Between bites I related to Bob the first half of the adventure. How Sally was in awe of everything. I laughed a bit when I told him about the parking meters. Then I began telling him about the rose peddler.

"Demons, are you sure?" Bob gasped, "In the afternoon, on a busy street corner?"

"Bob, I know a demon when I feel one."

"You could have been killed."

"Yeah I've been thinking about that, what were three hellions doing on a busy street corner, in the middle of the afternoon peddling flowers? They weren't after me."

"They were after Sally, then?" Bob looked shaken.

"That's what I don't get. They definitely noticed her. They didn't act hostile or try to follow us, chase us into an alley and make easy work of us."

"That's odd, Harry."

"Not as odd as what they said to Sally as we were walking away."

"What did they say?" Bob was really disturbed now.

"They said, 'Go home, Scepter, you don't belong here.'"

"Scepter?" Bob stared, "Are you sure?"

"Bob, I'm not hard of hearing." My temper was beginning to rise again. "What's a scepter anyways? I thought a scepter was some fancy stick or something that kings held in their hands." I looked for answers from my walking encyclopedia.

Bob closed his eyes and paced. "Yes, that is one definition of a scepter. It is usually a magnificent bejeweled baton held by royalty. I once held the scepter of Charlemagne, glorious moment that was." Bob was lost in his long gone revelry.

"Bob, you're stalling."

"Harry," Bob exhaled slowly. "A scepter is a symbol of imperial authority. Sovereignty, if you will."

I stared at Bob. Oh hell, I am not ready for this.

"I'm going to bed."


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: All familiar looking characters belong to Jim Butcher and the Sci Fi channel. Furthermore I do not practice, encourage or condone the use of magic in RL. **

Chapter 4

Needless to say, I didn't sleep well.

Add hell queen or at least demonic princess to Sally's weirdness repertoire, and she's living here, under my protection. My protection, yeah right. Who is going to protect me?

But now that I think about it, the facts don't seem so weird. Well, the belly button thing is still out there. What else could have summoned itself? What else has the attraction power of a succubus? What else could reach across the High magic of the Tri-circle Ward with her, err, its power and touch me? What else held the respect of demons and hellions?

I'll tell you what. An uber Elder from the Nevernever that's what.

Elders are the elite of the Nevernever. You know, the spirit world, the world that coexists with our world but normal straight people can't see it. It's filled with little monsters like ghosts, faeries, hellhounds, trolls, demons, need I say more. There's a barrier between us and the Nevernever. It's risky business for us to cross over to them and vise versa. I've met some of these folks, even some of the royalty like Queens and Kings which don't come out to play often. Elders never come out, or so I'm told.

So what is she doing here? Better still, what the hell does she want from me?

I hurried through my shower hoping the sting of the cold water would wake me from this nightmare. Cold showers are nice on occasions. Like when I want to ease tension from certain parts of my body and right now I have a tremendous tension headache building.

6:30a.m., I noticed the time as I was lacing up my boots. The paper should be here by now.

I unlocked the front door of the office, flipped the sign in the window to read OPEN. Yeah, it's early to be starting up shop, but I might forget to do it later. And you know, bills have to get paid.Opening the front door I saw that the Tribune had indeed arrived. I reached down to pick it up when the hairs on my arm bristled. "Now what," I murmured, and pulled the paper inside.

The sensation that I felt wasn't a strong one. It was more like when one Practitioner shakes hands with another. It's kind of a power surge going up your arm. The stronger the surge; the more magical strength the Practitioner has. Though the more experienced ones know how to control the surge or they could blow someone's hand up.

Running my hand over the folded paper I noticed a large section of it was warm to my touch, like something hot was placed on it. I peered out of the window pane and saw nothing. Nothing, except for an old yellow tabby sitting not too far from my front door cleaning its paws. Cat, newspaper, warm spot? Maybe I'm getting paranoid again, or not. I swear that cat just winked at me before it moseyed across the street.I sat down at my desk and enjoyed the silence.

Somewhere in the back of my brain I could hear ringing. I was about to yell at someone to pick up the damn phone when I woke up. The phone rang again. It was 8:30. I let it ring another time before I answered. "Harry Dresden."

"Gees, Dresden, you still in the sack?"

"Murphy, good morning to you too," I replied.

I counted Murphy as one of my friends, one of my few friends. She is a spunky little woman that has a mean left hook and a meaner right foot. She is also head of the Special Investigations for the Chicago Police Department. Anyway, her line of investigating tends to run with my line of investigating. The difference is that she has to redefine her reports to fit the normal, acceptable thinking of the government bureaucracies and the general public while I get snide looks and an occasional paycheck.

"Good for whom, Dresden?" We have always maintained some professional boundaries by calling each other by our last names. She'd deck me if I were to call her Connie.

Over the past several years we have become rather close. Not in a romantic type of way but in a close bonding way. You develop that kind of relationship when you have saved each other's life on numerous occasions.

"What can I do for you?"

"I just got handed a case. Two dead and a third found this morning." She sounded annoyed. "Wanna join me?" she asked.

"Anything for you, Murphy."

"Anything for a paycheck you mean." I heard her smile in her words.

I took down the address and got my jacket. It was almost too warm to wear it but it covers my wand quite nicely. After yesterday I wasn't going to go out without my kind of firearm on me. It was almost a relief to be going out to a crime scene, however gruesome it might be. I need something to take my mind off of the growing problem of an evil deity that has chosen to come to visit.

Again I left without notifying the troupe.

Bob has been in her constant company for the last few days, maybe he can find out more from her now that he knows more of the picture. I think he has a better chance of surviving the confrontation than I would. He still risked the possibility of being sent to the Nevernever where he could be tortured forever. But she likes him right? I don't have to feel guilty leaving him with her.

Don't have time to think about that, got to go help Murphy.

Jumping into my old jeep, I revved up the engine. I love the sound of machinery working properly. Some folks would say I drive an antique, a macho classic, as part of my eclectic charm. I drive a vintage WWII CJ. Why? It works. Any mechanical or electrical devise made past the fifties and sixties tends to disagree with me. Something to do when energy waves verse electrical waves. Computers and other high tech doodads are the worst. So I stick to the old stuff, eclectic or not.

I headed down the street that Sally and I were on yesterday. The same demonic flower pusher was right where he was yesterday, just a block or so from my place. He grinned at me as I passed. I gritted my teeth, "The brazen bastard."

Morton Grove is a suburb of Chicago, not exactly in Murphy's district or jurisdiction. But when the words like 'weird' or 'spooky'are tossed around at crime scenes, SI and Murphy get invited. Go figure.The residence in Morton Grove was fairly easy to find. High-end of middle class suburbia. Nothing outstanding, except the driveway was now full of squad cars, officers and yellow crime scene tape. Neighbors were gathering around, whispering and pointing. Guess this was the biggest attraction for the quiet community.

Standing in a group of plain clothes officers I saw a teenage boy talking to Murphy's partner Kirmani. The teenager had a lot of Goth going on. Black-dyed hair, heavy black eyeliner, blacken lips, rings and things hanging off of just about everything. No tattoos, probably too young. Cold distant eyes filled with boredom and rage. I've just seen eyes with that look, the rose peddler. Without the red glow that is.

Next to him I saw a little girl, pink pajamas with blue stars, big pink bunny slippers, holding a stuff toy. She was still a baby. Fine blonde hair, puffy red checks streaked with tears, innocent blue eyes now filled with fear, sadness and pain. Poor kid.

A uniformed officer let me in the front door and directed me to the stairs. I didn't smell the metallic scent of blood. That's always a good sign. Murphy was standing at the landing talking to another detective that I didn't recognize. She motioned for me to come up.

"Dresden."

"Murphy."

We passed two bedrooms silently.

The first was pink. Ceiling, walls, carpet, bedspread, canopy, everything colored a cotton candy pink. Nauseating for anyone that is male and over the age of ten.

The second bedroom was definitely the teenager's. Posters of sexy vamps, Goth female bands and D. & D., hung on every available space. Clothing, all black, were scattered everywhere and dried up food and junk on the floor. Mascara and eye liner tubes covered the dresser top. Could be typical teenage rebellion going on here or... I'll check it out later if I need to.

We entered the last bedroom, the master suite. It was enormous and a costly remodeling job too by the look of things. Taupe walls, white trim, simple but elegant. It resembled one you would find in a magazine. The three-sided mirror was the doorway to a walk-in closet which revealed a lot of dark brown, blue and black women's suits, all neatly hung in groups with matching accessories. Twenty pairs of dark pumps lined a wall. Dresses hung in their own plastic covers.

"Don't tell me," I said to Murphy, "Single mother, divorced for about two years, professional, maybe a lawyer. Ex-hubby, business man, out of town a lot, maybe had a woman on the side. Two kids, both go to private schools. A daughter, age seven or eight and a son, maybe fifteen or sixteen."

"More or less. Angela Johnson, 42, corporate CPA. TWICE divorced," She put heavy emphasis on the word 'twice' to prove that I didn't know everything. "A daughter, Victoria age 6, a son, Chad, 15, from the first marriage."

Murphy looked like she could kill me. I love her expression when I do that. It didn't take a wizard or even a psychic to read those cards or the photographs that lined the stairs.

"Okay, Wiseguy," Murphy said sarcastically, "Care to tell me how our vic died?"

Now, the victim was a whole different deck. Lying on the bed were the remains of a corpse. I had seen something like this before. But it was a corpse that was dug up after being dead and buried for fifteen years or so.

The yellowed, parched flesh had shrunk like plastic wrap to the skeleton. The eyes were small rocks resting in the eye sockets. The hair, brittle and colorless was still attached to the paper-thin skin. The woman was wearing an emerald green silk nightgown.

It could be some kind of poison draught or a wasting curse . Hard to tell at the moment.

"She died in her sleep, peacefully."

"Does that look peaceful to you, Dresden?" Murphy barked.

"Well, maybe not peaceful but without a lot of pain." I tried to recover. "The sheets are hardly ruffled, so she wasn't tossing around a lot. She's still in a fetal position. Her fingers are slightly curled, not clinched in a fist like you would do if you were in pain."

"I can buy that. What else can you tell me?"

"Who found her?"

"The daughter, but the son called it in." Murphy sighed. "They're on their way to protective services; we're trying to reach the ex-husband, who is out of …" Murphy stopped remembering what I already said.

"You said there were others?"

She looked down at her notes. "Yeah, they were identified by their dentals. Same body decomposition. Two females, early forties, one found in East River Park apparently jogging, the other in the Chicago Heights area. Haven't found any connection as of yet."

She closed her notebook and looked at me.

"What?"

"I was hoping you could help me out here, Dresden." She kind of cute when she's mad and I'm glad she can't read my thoughts or I'd have her .38 in my face.

"I'm thinking."

"Think out loud. Women are dying here, Dresden, just shriveling up in their sleep."

"Wasting away."

"Excuse me?"

"Wasting away, not shriveling up, it's a curse or maybe a poison." I knew she wasn't up to hear that. "Can I have a look at the son's room?"

"Why, you haven't seen enough naked women lately?"

If she only knew what kind of naked woman I saw lately. "Work with me here, Murphy?"

"Sure, go for it."

When I slowly entered the room I felt a small residue of magic. I stood under a pentagram drawn on the ceiling and examined the runes. Somebody knows a little dark magic, but if something actual happen it would have been accidental. Stupid wannabes.

I walked into the adjoining bathroom. Whoa, I felt a little dizzy. The kid's playing around with some bad stuff here.

"Where's the boy, Murphy?" I hollered over my shoulder as I knelt down to examine the drawings on the floor better.

Murphy rushed in almost pushing me off balance. "What is that?

I knew Murphy wouldn't see anything but squiggly lines, stones and burnt out black candles but there was much more. "It's a ritual site." I already knew her next question and I didn't have an answer for her. "I don't think that it, or the kid who performed it, was responsible for the wasting curse but I can't say for sure."

That was all that it took for Murphy. She got on her radio, "I want the son, back here, yesterday."


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: All familiar looking characters belong to Jim Butcher and the Sci Fi channel. Furthermore I do not practice, encourage or condone the use of magic in RL. **

Chapter 5

It was a lousy day and an unproductive day. No leads, no connections, no fouls. It was the kind of day that makes grumpy wizards grumpier, so did the traffic and so did the drizzle that was now coming down and that kind of surprised me.

I usually like a light rain. It seems to wash all the fifth and grime from the city at least temporarily. It left the air a little more breathable. But not tonight.

After stepping out of my neighborhood diner Lucky's, I decided my hockey stick and I were going to walk the rest of the way home. I was wondering if Rosey would be working tonight. It was probably a testosterone build-up from being grumpy that made me think I could just walk up to a demon and start a conversation.

I rounded the corner and there he was, clear vinyl slicker and all. Rosey was out in the street, hailing cars that had to stop for the light. There were hardly any pedestrians, none that would stop anyway. A perfect setup for getting my head bashed in unnoticed.

"Not much business on a night like this," I said when he came back to the curb and his bucket of roses.

"You'd be surprised by the idiots that would stop and talk to me on a night like tonight," He said reminding me of my stupidity.

"Didn't think you were the type to be panhandling flowers, accident insurance or burial plots maybe."

The demon laughed, "Frankly, I find it rather refreshing; body breaking has become rather boring."

"What are you doing on my street?"

"I've got a vendor's license."

Oh, he was enjoying this. Goading me. And I was letting him. I shut off the little voice in my head that was telling me that he wasn't going to tell me anything, to just walk away and forgot about him. I wasn't in the mood for forgetting.

With one hand I reached down and grabbed him by the throat. Hey, he was little over five feet, no more than 130 lbs. I stuck the end of my staff in his face. The tip was already glowing with the emotional energy that I had built up throughout the day. I might get one good blast in before he rips me apart.

He looked at my hand and then grinned, "Like I said yesterday, this is none of your concern." He placed one of his small hands over mine. I felt the gripping pressure of something ten times more than my own.

"But if you insist in getting involved, I will have no choice than to be accommodating."

I felt the bones in my hand squish together trying to bend rather than break. I lowered my staff and loosened my grip. Losing a little of that testosterone, too.

"Why did you call the girl, 'Scepter'?"

Rosey went out to the street again and hailed a car, leaving me getting more drenched in the rain while I waited for him. He made the sale and slowly came back. I can't help but think he aided their decision with more than just his charm.

"She's way out of your league, wizard," He looked puzzled, "But you should know that, unless…" Rosey grinned, "…She doesn't know."

"I am going to let you live, wizard, just for helping me out. Get out of here before I change my mind."

With my crumpled hand and my grumpy level back down to its normal point I was able to see his point of view. I headed home.

"Watch your back, wizard," the demon yelled.

"From you?"

I heard him laugh, "From her. She can destroy us both in a heartbeat."

"Harry, you are soaking wet." I heard Bob chide me like an old mother hen. "Did the truck break down or did you need a shower?"

"Later, Bob." I headed to the kitchen to get some ice for my throbbing hand.

I was applying the frozen bag of peas that I keep only for such a purpose to my wrist when I saw Sally. Inhaling air was forgotten.

Her long wet hair had dampened the dark T-shirt she was wearing. My T-shirt. It looked much better on her than me. She had on my boxers that I could barely see on those long slender legs.

Not acknowledging her, I asked Bob, "You let her go through my stuff?"

"She had a shower," Bob replied as he appeared beside me staring at Sally as well, "She couldn't put her dirty robe back on even if that IS the only thing she has."

"Bet you enjoyed that?"

"Enjoyed what?" Bob was too distracted to pay much attention to me. "Oh, the shower, well," he tried to focus, "Just when she jumped out because of the cold water."

"I thought you respected her."

"Harry," He looked at me, "It was like enjoying a beautiful piece of artwork, like Venus de Milo." Bob continued to justify his voyeurism, "She isn't embarrassed of her body."

"Haven't met a succubus that was," I retorted.

"Harry, she is NOT a succubus."

"Yeah, well what is she then?"

"I don't know."

"Well, her flower-pushing boyfriend knows but he ain't telling," I said angrily as I tried to move my fingers. "You want to know another thing, Bob?" I yelled at him. "He believes that she doesn't know who she is either."

"But if she did…," I was so angry I couldn't get the words out. "But if she did, Rosey and I would be dead by now."

Bob crossed his arm and chewed on his thumb, he looked back at Sally,

Sally. In my anger, I forgot she was standing there, hearing the whole conversation. I looked up at her. Oh hell, just like the little girl who saw her decimated mother. Sally's eyes were filled with the same fear, sadness and pain.

Before I could say anything or move. She ran.

I just sat there, "She understood the conversation."

"Ya think?" Bob mimicked as his smoky hand went through my head instead of smacking it.

"You are going after her aren't you?" Bob asked after I hadn't gotten up.

Closing my eyes I said, "Yeah, I supposed I should."

But instead of heading for the door, I got up, put my poor man's ice pack back in the ice box, grabbed a beer. I winced at the pain in my hand when I popped the top. Chugging it, I pulled my wet jacket back on and walk out.

My lousy day was continuing on into a lousy night.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: All familiar looking characters belong to Jim Butcher and the Sci Fi channel. Furthermore I do not practice, encourage or condone the use of magic in RL. **

Chapter 6

I had a decision to make.

Go after the woman, who wasn't really a woman, but some super nasty, but doesn't know it. Try fighting off another nasty, and getting myself killed in the process.

Option number two is to let her and the nasty boyfriend duke it out. Either she will remember who she is and smoke his ass or he kills her before she can remember. Saving myself from unnecessary pain, suffering and death and never finding out who this uber bitch is.

You know, when I read a book, I like to know how the story ends.

The light drizzle had changed to bone-chilling pellets hitting my head and running down my face and neck. My jacket kept the rest of me fairly protected. I shivered anyway thinking that my T shirt and boxers that Sally was wearing wasn't much protection from the weather let alone a demon.

I quickened my pace to where Rosey was working earlier. I found the bucket with his merchandise lying on its side; flowers, still in their plastic wrap were being swept away with the rainwater.

I Listened. Shutting out the wet street sounds, barking dogs and general city noise, I was able to hear running footsteps. Footsteps by more than one person. I headed in their direction. I stopped and Listened again, this time with more focus. I heard the heavy breathing and the footfall of two people. They were running towards me.

I saw them, the hellions. How could I have forgotten about Rosey's chums?

Hellions, Hell spawns, demon possessed, whatever you want to call them, are pieces of dirty work. They are human beings that have sold their souls to the dark side in return for beauty, fortune, revenge or whatever lusty thing you can think of. Like Dark magic, once you're on that path you don't see any other.

They're somewhat easier to fight than demons but harder to cover up. They don't turn into goo when they die; they leave a body behind, a human body. Thus, breaking the First Law of Magic, 'Thou shall not kill', and getting put on the Most Wanted List of the High Council, AGAIN.

These two could have been linebackers for the Chicago Bears and they were headed straight for me. Sent by Rosey to keep me from getting involved, no doubt.

Being human beings ruled out the use of my staff to blow them to pieces like I so much want to do right now. So plan B goes into effect. Hide, deck one by surprise and fight the other one. Sounds good to me since I don't have time to think up plan C.

Hiding was the easy part, I extended my arm out and chopped the closest one right across his Adam's apple. He went down fast and hard. I turned to brace myself for the impact from the other one. Huh? He kept on running.

That was too easy. I didn't have time to play twenty questions with the hellion at my feet. I stuck my staff in his face. "Where is she?"

You know I can look scary at times and threw some energy around to frightened people but most hell spawn aren't intimidated. But this one looked frightened.

"W -What do you mean, man?" He raised his arms over his head in a surrendered position.

"The sexy woman in the T shirt and boxers? Your friend, the rose peddler took her? Any of that sound familiar?" I sneered and put the staff tip between his eyes.

"I-I don't k-know what you're t-talking about, mister." The linebacker looked like he was going to wet himself.

I stared into his eyes.

He hollered and I backed off of him. No time to think about what I saw when I looked into his soul except to know he didn't have a demon in there.

I heard a cat howl in torment and looked up to see a grey cat coming out of an alley. Not the usual prowling call to be sure. I headed into the alley.

It was dark as alleys usually are without any streetlights on a rainy dark night. I could barely see more than three or so feet in. I lifted my silver pentacle by its leather cord from my neck and forced energy into it. It brightened to that familiar blue glow, shinning on the usual debris and clutter.

What wasn't usual was the light seemed to stop about five feet ahead of me. There was a darkness veil. I inhaled. Looks like I'm found Sally and flower boy.

This was an amazing veil. Like a curtain of black velvet, it was as wide as the alley and block out the dark rain clouds above. I exhaled slowly and walked in.

Hells bells, I couldn't see or hear anything. I raised my pentacle to my face and force all my energy into it. Nothing, I couldn't even see the necklace, my hand, or anything. Someone once described hell as being this black. Makes sense to me but I'm not there yet. I took another step or three and broke through. Whew. I have a whole lot more fear to power up my staff.

It was like day and night literally. I stuck my hand back and it disappeared into the black wall and where I was standing was daylight. Not rainy nighttime. The alley was lit up like Wrigley Field with all the stadium lights lit. It wasn't raining. Didn't look like it even rained in there.

Dumpsters, graffiti, and debris, all the junk you'd find in an alley were clearly visible. What wasn't visible was Rosey and Sally. That wasn't a good sign. Maybe they obliterated each other. Maybe it was the end of the book.

"Sally? Are you here?"

I heard a muffled sound from one of the dumpsters. Not the end, yet. Oh, how I hate dumpster diving. The stench from those things makes me want to add to the raw sewage. Swallowing, I held my breath and opened the lid. I closed it quickly. No body or bodies in there. But I smelled the blood.

I found the crumpled mass of arms, shirt, boxers, and legs huddled back against the wall. Sally lifted her face toward me. One side of her face looked like it met with a sledge hammer. I noticed one arm was twisted backward and hung limply. A jagged bone was sticking out of her leg. Her bloody left hand was pressed against her even bloodier abdomen. There was a silver stiletto lying beside her, blood up over the hilt.

"Aw, hell."

This was a bad ending of a bad book.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: All familiar looking characters belong to Jim Butcher and the Sci Fi channel. Furthermore I do not practice, encourage or condone the use of magic in RL. **

Chapter 7

There was little I could do but hold the woman as her life drained away.

Someone once told me that everyone dies alone. It's a solo journey. Maybe so, but I wasn't going to leave her with the last moments of her life abandoned in a dirty little alley. Maybe it wouldn't matter to her but it did to me. I leaned my head back against the cold brick wall and closed my eyes to stop the tears from running down my face.

It was strange what one thinks about in moments like this.

I let fade the images of how she might have died at the hand of the demon. The weird things about her passed. The assumption that she was some hell queen vanished. I remembered the soul gaze. I pictured in my mind the sweet innocent child, gliding through the fresh air, laughing at the pure joy of the moment. I remembered the eager expression of youth trying to absorb the marvels of life and the things around her when I explain cars, trains and mailboxes. I remembered the lightness of my own soul when I watched her touch each parking meter as her face would brighten with each little wonder. How losing a sandal to a wad of gum was a mystery to her mind. For a few moments she had brought joy into my life. For that I will remember her.

It was probably a half hour or so I sat there before I realized I was cold and wet. Getting colder and wetter as I felt the rain falling again. Opening my eyes I saw that normal darkness had returned to the alley. I tried to move my stiff legs, gently pushing the limp body from me.

I heard Sally moan.

I Listened. Sure enough, I heard the steady ebb and flow of her breath. Not painful and jagged but gently and deeply as if she was asleep. She's alive. She stirred.

I watched as she put herself back together. So much for my dream that she was a normal human being. Vampires are able to repair their bodies as are faeries, demons and the like. However, there is one thing that separates Sally from the rest of those creatures, she bleeds. Her blood is the same normal red stuff that runs through my veins.

Out of the corner of my eye I see moment. Just a cat, no wait, it's the same grey cat I saw earlier coming from this alley. It was pacing back and forth in front of the back entrance to Lucky's Diner. Of course, the diner, out in front is my jeep. I don't know who or what that cat is but I'll take the help where I can find it. When the cat knew that I had gotten the inspiration he ran on his way.

I helped Sally up and wrapped my coat around her. We headed for the café. Once inside I took her through the kitchen to the restroom. I'm glad that most restaurants put there bathrooms in the back so the employees can use them without going through the main dining area.

Though Sally wounds had all clear up she still had blood all over her. With her cleaned up as much as possible we walked out into the customer side. Maxine saw us immediately.

"Hi, Harry," the stout forty-ish woman hollered. Maxine was the perfect waitress for the late shift. Tough looking but had a heart of gold. I think she was in the military in her earlier days.

I see a lot of Maxine with the night hours I keep and this being my neighborhood kitchen, all the staff knows me pretty well. I glad it's still too early for my ex-girlfriend, Laura, to be working. She does the morning shift. We are on speaking terms but I feel uncomfortable when she sees me with another woman, even if that woman is a client.

"Hiya, Max, two coffees and some fries, please," I said as I found Sally a booth. "Ah, make that coffee, a burger and two fries."

Maxine came over carrying two cups and a pot of coffee.

I glanced around and found just a few people in the café. "Kind of slow tonight?"

She looked at the crowd, a bunch of noisy intoxicated young adults, obvious after-hours customers, a couple totally absorbed in themselves, a few of the regular loners like me, and a man reading yesterday's paper at the counter.

"Slow enough that I'm not going to kick your girlfriend out from not having any shoes on," she said as she poured the coffee.

Sally pulled my oversized coat around her hiding the knife-holed and bloodied T-shirt.

"Thanks, I appreciate that, Max." I tried to look as grateful as possible over the anxiety I was feeling. I couldn't define my nervousness as leftovers from the incident in the alley or if I was sensing a present uneasiness.

"Who's the guy at the counter?" I nodded toward the newspaper reader. The man seemed out of place in this hole-in-the-wall diner. With his expensive tailor-made overcoat and matching charcoal-grey Bogart hat, he didn't look right or feel right. I had a scary thought. Wardens from the High Council wore robes the same charcoal grey. This was an overcoat not a robe, I just being paranoid. Besides the only warden that I knew in this area was Morgan. He wasn't Morgan or any other warden that I recognized.

Wardens were the pit bulls of the High Council. They saw to it that people like me or should I say wizards like me keep their noses clean. Wardens were to wizards what cops are to the general public. They're not around when you need them but are in your face if you cross the line. I had the unfortunate pleasure of being tailed by Morgan for a number of years so I feel I can speak with some experience.

"Beats me, luv," Maxine puffed, "Never seen him before, just came in a few minutes before you two did."

Our food came and Sally dug in with greedy abandonment. We didn't talk much. She was too busy eating and I was too busy thinking about tonight's events. I wondered if Rosey was still out there. Did he fare worse than she and wonder off into another dark corner to recuperate?

One thing I knew for sure, she needed to get some clothes. "Have you ever been to Wal-Mart?" I smiled at the thought.

"Wal-Mart?" She smiled back. It was good to see her smile again.

"Let's go." I looked around for Maxine to pay for the food. "How much do I owe?" I asked when she got to our booth.

"Put your money away, Harry," she laughed. "The stranger at the counter gave me a twenty to cover your tab." She looked back over her shoulder to see the swivel stool empty, "Odd, I didn't see him leave."

"Neither did I."

I got Sally into the jeep as quickly as possible and tucked in my staff between us.

"Wal-Mart, here we come."

I figured this was as good of time as any to take Sally clothes shopping. At three in the morning there just aren't that many shoppers to notice the obvious. There were no senior citizens to greet us or any security guard to throw us out or call the police. Sally became that child again wanting to look and touch everything. This time I was not in the mood to indulge her. We headed straight for the women's clothing section. Buying women's clothes, especially underwear, is something I never thought I would be doing. I was looking forward to this as much as a proctology exam. So when I found a matronly salesclerk, explained the situation, and headed to the in-store coffee shop, I felt relieved. No pun intended.

Stretching out my long weary legs, I dozed off only to be awakened a short time later by a monster. A female shop-a-holic monster that had to show me everything she wearing and what she had in her bags.

I had to admit that she looked sharp in the new outfit. Sandals of some kind of natural grass with stringy rope that wrapped around her small ankles. Capri length denims with a big tan belt. She bent down to reveal her dark brown sports bra or clingy tank top underneath a striped oxford shirt. I reminded myself of my earlier visions of a child and focused my attention on her face, which was like a kid's at Christmas.

She had another pair of blue jeans, several tops, and a satin nightie that I wasn't going to think about, a black plain dress- simple but classy, undies and bras that I also don't want to envision, socks and a pair of Niki runners.

This was way more stuff that she should have been able to buy with the money I had given her. Sally's response was rather vague. "Red Cross clothing voucher." I didn't ask for an explanation.

And it didn't stop there. I mean, she was pumped, she want to see more and buy more. I let her dragged me through the store for a little while as I tried to explain what a toaster was; how to use a blender. We got to the electronics. Disaster flashed through my weary brain.. I was too tired to face the fiasco that was sure to follow so it was my turn to drag her through the store and out the door.

We got through my front door about the same time the day was turning the sky pink. I dropped the Wal-Mart bags where I stood and collapsed on the couch.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: All familiar looking characters belong to Jim Butcher and the Sci Fi channel. Furthermore I do not practice, encourage or condone the use of magic in RL. **

- 

Chapter 8

I woke up with someone banging on my head. No. Not my head, it was the door. I staggered to me feet; the clock on my desk read 9:20. I didn't feel the least bit apologetic that I was still asleep and the door was still locked.

The banging continued.

"Hold on. Hold on." I peeped under the shade to see a rather furious Murphy on the other side. I was a little foggy; I don't remember that I was meeting her this morning. What ever it was that she wanted must have been important for her to come here instead of calling.

"Come on, Dresden, I don't have all day," Murphy yelled.

I hardly had the door open before I felt her fist land on my chin and sent me back into my desk. Three uniformed officers and Kirmani, her partner, stormed through the door.

"Hey, what was that for?" I looked at her and the crowd that came behind her. Mur…?"

"What is with you Dresden, Good Guy during the day, Bad Guy in the night?" Murphy shouted again, pacing. "Where's your girlfriend?"

"I don't have a girlfriend."

Murphy reached up to my shirt collar and pulled me down so we were eye to eye. She looked into my eyes knowing full well where that might lead. I looked away.

"For the last time. Where. Is. The. Girl?"

If I was lucky Sally was in the lab and Bob would be refrain her from coming out. Luck decided no to show up. Standing in the hallway between the front office side and the back living quarters was Sally. Not only was she not in the lab but she was not wearing clothes. Towels, she had a towel wrapped around her head and one around her body.

"Oh, you mean that girl." Doesn't a little humor soften a heated moment?

"Cuff him," Murphy released my shirt, "And Mirandize him."

"With pleasure," Kirmani ginned and grabbed me.

Murphy walked quickly to Sally and lowered her voice to a more civilized tone. "Hello, I'm Lieutenant Murphy, Chicago Police Department and you are?"

"You have the right to remain silent..."

Sally looked at Murphy, at the uniforms, and then she looked at me as Kirmani was pushing me out the door. "Quis est iens in?"

"Anything you say can and will be…"

"Wait." Murphy yelled. "Harry, who is this and what language is that?"

I stumbled when Kirmani shoved me back inside. At least I didn't fall completely.

"It's okay, Sally, totus vox, answer the NICE lady."

"Dresden, you know the rules, you talk to me not her." Murphy scowled and waited until I answered her.

"Her name is Sally, and it's kind of old Latin or something."

"Huh?" Murphy looked at me and then to Sally. "Do you understand me, Sally?"

Sally slowly nodded.

"Do you have a last name?"

Sally looked at me. Murphy looked at me.

I closed my eyes and shook my head. "Her last name is…" I open one eye, "…Margarth. Well it's something like that."

"Sally Margarth? Would you like to get dressed, Sally Margarth?" Murphy spoke slowly as if to a small child, "You know, put some clothes on."

Sally started to move toward me. Everyone was speechless. She moved past me and toward the officers by the door, she then bent down and reached for the Wal-Mart bags that got push to the side. Every pair eyes were watching the long thin legs that went up to the uh, bottom of the towel, not noticing what Sally was going to pick up. Every pair but Murphy's.

"Stop," Murphy yelled, breaking the mesmerizing moment.

Sally dropped the bags.

"Do you live here, Sally?"

I caught on to Murphy's questioning. It's called consent search. If Sally confirms that she does in fact live here, the police have the right to search the bags without a search warrant. There are her new clothes in there but I don't know if she saved the bloodied T-shirt. It could drag her and me into this situation. Which of course we are. But I didn't want to go into it with the police, especially Murphy.

"Murphy, Murphy, she's just a guest. She doesn't live here."

"Can it, Dresden."

"Sally, do you live here?"

She nodded yes.

"Sally, do you live anywhere else?"

She shook her head no. I closed my eyes and sighed.

Murphy nodded to one of the officers.

He went over and took the three bags. Searching the first and the second came up with nothing. However he stopped and handed the third bag to Murphy and handed the first two to Sally.

Murphy looked in the bag. "Ms. Margarth, would you like to get dress and then come with me down to the station."

Kirmani shoved me again toward the door again. "Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, ..."

- 

I suppose sitting in an interrogation room as the suspect is a lesson in compassion. Compassion for the people I have and will again question in my own investigation. I don't have the rules and regulations of the judicial system to hinder me when I grill someone, so if I need to get a little dirty, well what can I say. It also means that I don't have the protection that someone might blow my head off if they don't like my questions. It's a two- way street. But I do feel compassion for the good, innocent people that have sat in these chairs.

I wonder how Sally was doing. It's been a couple of hours since we were hauled in. Murphy stuck me in here to wait. Just when I was getting comfortable and settling in for a nap, Murphy comes in, with Kirmani trailing behind.

"Murphy, are you going to fill me in on why you brought me down here?"

"Why don't you tell me?"

"Can I have a cup of coffee?"I asked.

"Get him some coffee." Murphy told Kirmani, leaving Murphy and I alone.

"What do you want to know?"

"Where's Frank Perini's body?"

"Who's Frank Perini?"

"Cut the crap, Dresden," Murphy raised her voice. "Don't I have enough on my plate with these freaky serial killings? What are you trying to do to me?" She started pacing. "I thought we had an understanding, Dresden. You're a consultant for crying out loud."

"Tell me what you got and I'll fill in the blanks."

"We got the murder weapon, a ton of blood, your bloodied shirt, a missing person supposedly the victim, someone you threatened AND assaulted who says you were looking for Perini and eye witnesses that put you at or near the crime scene early this morning. So, the only blank I have is what did you do with the body?"

I looked at Murphy. I could tell her to go fly a kite since she has no case without a body but Murphy is my friend. Also I need to clear my name if I am going to get any more income from the CPD.

"Why are you on this case Murphy, are the regular homicide detectives on vacation?"

"Damn it, Dresden," Murphy hesitated, "I am this case because you are the prime suspect. And… well… I don't turn on my friends."

"Assuming that Frank Perini is the name of the flower hawker. There is no body because as far as I know Perini's not dead. The blood in the alley is Sally's," I took a breath, "So is the blood on the blade. The blood is on my shirt because Sally was wearing it when SHE got stabbed." I paused so Murphy could process. "I decked one of Perini's buddies running from the alley. The other was running for his life. Why don't you ask them about Perini?" I yelled. Getting just stares from Murphy I continued, "Anyway, I found Sally in the alley. We went to Lucky's to clean up and then went to Wal-Mart."

Kirmani came back with my coffee. "What did I miss?"

Both Murphy and I remain silence.

"There's only one problem with your story," Murphy headed for the door. "There is too much blood to be hers and she doesn't even look like she's broken a fingernail let alone a stab wound."

"She heals fast."

"Drink your coffee, Dresden."

-- 

Sitting for five hours in a police interrogation room without any food, without much sleep, a 5 o'clock shadow that is starting to take on a life of its own and being accused of a murder I didn't commit is part of the downside of being a private investigator. Especially one with the talents that I have. The upside of sitting in here alone and undisturbed is that it gives me time to think. Without access to Bob's knowledge it's harder to think. But I'll manage.

Sally is still or even more of an enigma as ever. She has the ability to regenerate in an incredulous speed but yet not the ability to fend off a demon. She has the free abandonment of a child but an aura of wisdom and age. She has the body and blood of a human being yet she is far from that idealistic dream in wishing that she was. Sally mystery goes on hold.

Rosey, the rose peddler has a name and face that the police recognize, Frank Perini. He still is a demon, with the hell-locked eyes, tormented voice and the strength of a bulldozer. Demons that I have come across before have a few things in common. One- they don't take the time to get acquainted with the locals, police or otherwise. Two- They don't act on their own accord, but are under the control of something or someone. And three- They don't leave witnesses. They will pursue their mission through to completion or die trying. Perini was different. Why?

There is the serial case. Oh hell, I'm probably kicked off of that. Besides, right now there is mostly normal police legwork. How does that cliché goes? 'Let your uniforms do the walking,' or something like that. Anyway without talking to Bob I don't know how to connect the victims or how to trace the curse. Unless, I talk to the victims. Hey, there's an idea.

The only suspect the police have right now is the skinny fifteen year-old wannabe. After Murphy and I talked to Chad, I ruled him out. I couldn't ask freely with a bunch of cops hanging around but unless he was a lot better liar than I think, he's not the one responsible for all the murders. If it was just his mother that would be different, with this being a serial, he's eliminated by lack of motive. I need to talk to him without Murphy.

Ah, Murphy. Another mystery, though a sweet mystery it is as to why she would investigate this Perini case. Having a reason to use her fist on me is understandable and explainable. I wish she would use a regular punching bag to take out her frustrations or some other adult form of release. Better not dwell there. We have a bond, a deeper relationship than just a working acquaintance. For what it's worth, it was a comforting thought.

-- 

My solitude was broken when Kirmani opened the door.

Kirmani and I don't get along for obvious reasons. I'm a wizard and he is a straight cop. He's a 'just the facts, ma'am' kind of guy. He must have screwed up big time to have been assigned to Special Investigations. Kirmani has only been Murphy's partner for six months or so. Her previous partner was mauled to death by a werewolf. Kirmani in my opinion was still wet behind his ears and too arrogant to realize it.

"You're free to go, Dresden," he said in a less demeaning way than usual.

"Finally," I exclaimed, "Any chance Sally and I can get a lift home?"

"Do we look like a taxi service to you?" Kirmani smiled at his own witticism. "Ms. Margarth got a ride an hour ago."

"Really? From who?"

"From whom, it's 'from whom' not from who, and it was from me."

"Oh," I raised my eyebrows. "You mean to say that I was cleared over an hour ago and you took Sally home and left me here."

"Technical oversight on my part, I'm sorry."

Technical oversight, my ass, I shot him one of my don't-mess-with-the-wizard look and headed toward the door he held open.

He let it close. "Dresden, can I ask you something?"

I step back from the door that was in my face. Not a real smart thing to do, Kirmani. Piss me off and then ask something that obviously is private and personal. I closed my eyes and began counting to ten.

"Ah, are you and Ms. Margarth a couple?"

Still counting, this time so I can keep a straight face. Kirmani has the hots for Sally. I should lie and tell him we are, just to save him from the Hell Queen, but like I said I don't really like him that much.

"No, we're not."

"Well, you won't mind if I drop by now and again to check on her then, will you?

"You know Kirmani, John isn't it?" I opened the door for him and followed him out into the hallway. "John I think that would be an excellent idea."

"You do?" He looked surprised.

I put my hand on his back, and grinned at him. "She's there alone most of the time while I'm out working, it would be nice for her to have some company."

I wasn't playing him seditiously, but playing him, yes. He could learn of few things about Sally's and my world as well as she could benefit from his worldly viewpoint. That is if she or some of her other friends didn't join the party and decide to eat him.

"She's new to town isn't she?" Kirmani asked hopefully.

If you only knew. "Something like that," I replied.

He smiled. "Oh, by the way, Murphy wants to see you upstairs, she said she would give you a ride home."

"Thanks, John, you're a real pal." Jackass is more like it.

-- 

"Murphy," I said cautiously as I came up to her office.

"Dresden, sit down," she command then changed her tone. "Please."

Guilt, remorse for smackin' me, relief that a case could be closed, all that could be the explanation behind the look she gave me. Or there is more she wants from me plus she knew I was tired, hungry and angry for being drug down here.

"Are we clear on this one?"

"Pretty much."

She kept her eyes diverted and hands busy shuffling papers on her desk. "There is one thing I don't get, not sure I want to get. How does someone lose so much blood and a small red scar to show for it? Who is she, and don't lie to me, Harry?"

She called me Harry. I was speechless.

"Can't think up some good lie for me, I don't know why I bother." She went back to her papers. "I'll give you a ride home when I finish this."

"Murph, it's not a lie when I say that I don't know how she did it, I swear on my mother's grave that I don't know who or what she is."

"Serious?"

"Serious. A few days ago she was dropped at my doorstep," more of less, "I've been trying to figure out what she is ever since. That's why I talked to Perini, he knows who she is but he ain't telling." Haven't I had this conversation before?

"And Perini's missing."

"Looks that way, but I wouldn't put an APB out on him or anything. His kind usually shows up again."

She shot me one of those I-don't-want-to-know-do-I looks.

"Do you have a name and address of the witness I grounded last night?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Murphy? You need to ask?"

She became all business again and riled. "What? Just because you aren't a suspect anymore lets me give out that information. You're not consulting on this one."

"Speaking of which, do I still have a job on the serial?"

Murphy gathered up the papers, shoved them in a folder and filed it. "Let's go, we'll talk on the way to your place."


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: All familiar looking characters belong to Jim Butcher and the Sci Fi channel. Furthermore I do not practice, encourage or condone the use of magic in RL. **

Chapter 9

"So let's have it, I'm off the case, right?"

"Shut up, Dresden, I'm trying to think here."

"I'm a big boy, you can tell me straight up."

"Harry…"

I clasped my hands together prayer-like and pleaded, "Not the Dear Harry line please."

We stopped at a light. Then another. I was about to have Murphy stopped the SUV and let me out. Its not like I needed the money, which I did, but it was the principle of the whole idea. A guy thing, you know.

Then at the third red light she turned to me and said, "Dresden, if you so much as jay walk next time…" She grinned.

"Murphy…" I laughed. She is always serious, she got me good. "You really had me going there for a minute."

"Would it have been so bad?" she asked.

I had to think for a minute. "Yeah, it would. It would've meant that I let you down."

Silence.

"About the case, as you know I was DISTRACTED today, we don't have much to go on. I did however; get a call from a cop-friend in Philly that might have a vic with the same M.O."

"Philly, as in Philadelphia?"

"Ah-huh,"

The Feds involved?"

"Not yet. Anyway my friend's sending the file Overnight so it should be here in the morning."

"Why does he think it's connected?"

"Besides the dried up mummy look," Murphy gave me that 'duh' look, "The vic was in Chicago two weeks ago."

"Good point."

"Have you got anything?"

I debated with myself whether to tell Murphy my plans. "Well, I've been DISTRACTED today, so I couldn't do the research I had planned on doing," See, Murphy I can dish it out too. "But I might have a lead."

"Really? Who?" I could hear a small amount of excitement in her voice.

"Angela Johnson."

"Dresden, if it was anyone but you I would think they were pulling my chain, but you're serious."

"Dead serious, pun intended," I smiled.

"Talking to the Dead is pretty dark stuff. You do that kind of thing?"

"No, Necromancy is not my thing, but I have a friend that can."

"Have I ever told you that your friends are creepy?"

"Have I ever told you that Kirmani is a jackass?"

One more question, Dresden," she said as I was climbing out of the car. "Did you get a cat?"

I looked over to the front of my place and saw a black cat with front white boots leisurely stretched out on the hood of my jeep. It looked up at me and went back to licking its paw.

"No, it's not mine, why do you ask?"

"I could have sworn I saw that cat sitting at your front door this morning."

-- 

"Sally has been relaying the events of your little adventure last night," Bob sounded amused. "It sounded delightful except for the shopping part, you poor boy. I must say you surprised me by the good taste of her clothing, could use that on yourself."

"It wasn't me."

"It wasn't you what? The blow up the bad guy part or the romp through the women's underwear aisle?" Bob saw my confused look and said, "Or both?"

"Both," I looked at Sally. "You think I blew up Perini?"

I got strange stares from both of them.

"Maybe her English is not as good as I perceived it to be," Bob interjected.

There were so many thing that I needed to get done today and now it was late afternoon and I had yet to find out what happened in the alley, teach Sally some defense against bad guys, go to Mort and chat with the dead. If that wasn't enough, I needed to eat, sleep, shower and shave.

I'll settle for the shower and shave.

"Sally, I want you to tell me about last night, what you told Bob, but first I'm going upstairs…"

She leaned toward me and sniffed. "And shower?"

I scowled at Bob. He raised his hands with that don't-look-at-me-I-can't-smell-a-thing look and walk through the lab wall laughing.

"…When I come down we will talk, do you understand me."

"Not a problem, Jack," She said smiling.

I shook my head as I headed upstairs.

-- 

I returned feeling renewed.

I found a plate of sandwiches and chips waiting for me. That was considerate of Sally. So was the warm shower, I don't know how she did it but it felt great. Maybe her shower comment wasn't so barbed after all. Where is she?

"Bob?"

Bob walked out of the wall. "Ah you look …" He mimicked smelling, "and smell much better also. You found the warm water pleasant, I take it?"

"You knew about that?"

"I know a lot of things," Bob said nonchalantly looking at his manicured fingers.

"Like where is Sally?

"Gone."

"Gone?"

"Gone, like left with some gentleman called John."

"Kirmani?"

"Well, if you mean the well-dressed, polite, young man that asked her to accompany him to dinner, then yes, it was Kirmani."

"She could have told me."

"She asked me to relay the message since you were obviously enjoying your bath. It was a splendid introduction," Bob smirked, "When the gentleman tried to shake hands with me."

"Bob you didn't?"

"What was I to do, I couldn't very well be impolite and refuse. His expression was priceless…"

"I bet it was."

Even though I had given Kirmani permission to come over. I didn't think he would pounce so quickly.

"Bob," I said chasing out any more thoughts of Sally with Kirmani. "What can you tell me about a wasting curse or poison?

Bob was silent. "Surely this Kirmani isn't worth the risk for dabbling in the black, Harry."

"No, Bob, it's the case I'm working with Murphy. But now that you brought it up…"

"Tell me about the body," Bob cringed.

"Bodies, there are three dead women. All in their early forties, scattered locations, no connection yet. The one I saw yesterday died in her sleep... I think. She had…" In my mind I saw the woman of the photographs, then the corpse, "… There was nothing left but dried skin and bones." I shuttered. "She was alive and functioning the night before. Her seven year old daughter found the body when her 'mommy didn't come to wake me,'" I said recalling the child's statement.

"Poor babe," Bob said with sympathy. He paced. "It doesn't sound like any poison that I know of, something of that magnitude would be excruciating painful."

"A curse then?"

"Yes, possibly, I would have to do some research."

"While you are doing that I am going to have a chat with the dead woman."

"Harry," Bob gasped. "That is absurd. You are signing your own death warrant."

"I don't have a choice, Bob. Murphy's got no leads."

"There is always a choice, Harry, let the police handle it, if they come up with nothing then so be it. It's not like they don't have unsolved crimes in their backlogs."

"They have unsolved cases, true, but they didn't ask me to help on them, now did they?"


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: All familiar looking characters belong to Jim Butcher and the Sci Fi channel. Furthermore I do not practice, encourage or condone the use of magic in RL**

Chapter 10

Necromancy, conjuring up the spirits of the dead, is Black Magic. It's one of the blackest of Black magic. Thus it is banned by the High Council and if you are found practicing you can and most definitely will be executed on the spot. No questions asked. With that thought in mind, I am going to see a necromancer.

Mortimer Lindquist walks the fine line between scam artist and the real deal. On one side of the fence he isn't a concern for the High Council but the police department. On the other side the High Council is watching his every move and not so much by the local P.D. In his defense I must say Mort isn't a power-driven person.

Calling the dead and raising the dead are different in my book, even if the High Council doesn't think so. It might be a risky venture but you got a better idea. Someone or something is murdering these women and the regular method of finding the killer has turned up nothing.

Old Mort doesn't do much advertising. Reminds me of a high-priced hooker. They're good at what they do and they are never without customers looking for their services.

Tracking him down took a couple of hours. It was near midnight when I walked through the door that separated the general public side from the invitation-only private side of a sleazy downtown dive. I had as much to lose as Mort did if we were caught, so dark and dingy works for me.

I sat down in the chair that Mort usually did, it was more comfortable than the ones he provided for his clientele and then waited for Mort to come out from the shadows.

"What do you want?" Mortimer asked still hiding in the one of the dark corners of the room.

"I want what the rest of your customers want."

"You could get us both killed."

"So let's make this fast before that happens, shall we Mort?" I put a little force behind my words. It typically works on the timid man.

Mort came out of the shadow and sat down quickly. Hands in his lap and eyes looking downward at the round table between us.

"Who?"

"Angela Johnson."

"When and how did she die?"

"Two nights ago and that is what I want to know."

"Murdered?"

"Looks that way."

"Harry, murdered souls are down right unpredictable and extremely violent at their best," Mortimer flinched. "But you won't leave here until you get want you want?"

I reached out and gently slapped his face. Smiling I said, "I'm glad we have such a good understanding of each other."

He recoiled. Placing his outstretched hands flat on the table he held his breath and rolled his eyes backward. His bloodshot whites were all that remained visible. I know where Murphy's gets her idea about my associates.

"I found her," Mort said when he took a breath and I saw his pupils again. "Harry, I don't want to get messed up in this, she looks…" I could see him struggling with the words.

"Like a corpse." I finished his sentence. "That's what she is… hello."

"No Harry, that is not what or who she is." Mort tried to regain his composure. "That is what you see after she is gone. Most souls leave this world long before their physical bodies quit working. Or at least the luckier ones do."

"And how does this differ from Angela?"

Before Mortimer could answer, I got to see for myself.

Out of the same corner that Mort came an emaciated woman in a green silk nightgown approached the table. She didn't look like either the photographs or the remains but somewhat in-between. Sickly blond hair was hanging down past her shoulders. Her facial features were accentuated by the gauntness of flesh. The skin on her arms and legs had shrunk to the withering muscles making her movement seem difficult and painful.

"Angela," Mort spoke quietly, "I know how difficult this is for you. Thank you for coming..."

She interrupted him. Her voice raspy and painfully slow. "You have no idea how difficult, perhaps you would like to feel…" She started to raise her boney finger at Mort.

"I asked for you, Angela." I said quickly to stop the impending doom.

The tormented woman halted. "Who are you, and why do you seek me?"

"I seek only the answers that will find the one responsible for your death."

"I care not for revenge or justice of the living" Angela spoke coldly. "I care that you are keeping me from my journey."

I felt my lungs burn as I could not find the oxygen to fill them. Mortimer was having the same difficulty breathing. I had to think fast and talk faster.

"Do you not care about Victoria and Chad?" I gasped.

The room filled with air again.

"You have three questions, sorcerer, choose them wisely."

I was going to argue that I was not a sorcerer but a wizard. Who's to argue with the dead that can snuff your life out in minutes?

"Can you tell me how you died?"

"No," She said abruptly. Silence. "I remember being tired all day." More silence as if she was trying to remember something from a long time ago. "I put Vicky to bed and reminded Chad that he was still grounded. I was so exhausted that I had to drag myself into bed."

"Do you know a woman by the name of Veronica Dinsdale or Madeline O'Keefe?

"I don't remember anyone by the name of Madeline O'Keefe or…" She smiled which looked more like an ugly grimace. "I knew a Ronnie Dale or Dinsdale way back. Her name might have been Veronica though we never called her that."

"When did you know her?"

"Is that your final question?"

Oh hell, I so wanted that answer. "No, it is not." I looked at the poor soul and asked my third and final question. "Is there anything you want to tell your children?"

I felt the air turn icy this time but did not turn away from the spirit. She loved her children, indulged them while she was alive. The pain of not being with them was the worse torment she faced. It didn't come as tears but burning coldness of dark energy that filled the room.

"Tell Vicky to look for me on the day of her wedding by the butterfly tree." She held her voice steady and calm. "Tell Chad if he doesn't stop I will forfeit my peace and haunt him all the rest of his days."

"Did Chad do this?" I had to ask. I didn't believe that Chad had killed his mother.

Angela began to withdraw. Before her shape evaporated she spoke three more words. "High. School. No."


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: All familiar looking characters belong to Jim Butcher and the Sci Fi channel. Furthermore I do not practice, encourage or condone the use of magic in RL**

Chapter 11

Driving the roadways of the third largest city can be a troll sometimes but at 2 a.m. they're not so beastly. There were a few vehicles every now and again just enough to keep a steady glow on the streets from the car lights. I could use a cup of coffee at Lucky's however a break might be a good idea after last night's excitement . Pulling up by the back door and locking down the hatches gave me time to pan the front and side of my building. I didn't feel any magical energy and there wasn't any darn cat in sight so I relaxed a bit and went inside.

I was locking the door behind me when Bob appeared.

"I would not lock that if I were you, Sally is not home yet."

"What?" I said loudly. How can I forget about her for hours and then feel upset when I find her still out. "She's still out with Kirmani?"

"I suppose so, since she has not returned, yet." Bob gave me that what-a-moot-question look. "She does not have an object locale to force her to stay."

I couldn't tell if Bob was bemoaning his bound existence or whether he truly missed her and was worried. Probably both. I finished locking the door. "If she can flip arrows on parking meters she can flip locks on doors."

"You are not concerned for her safety, especially after last night's attempt on her life."

"Bob, what am I supposed to do about it? You said it yourself she is not obligated to us." I rubbed my forehead, soothing the tension headache that was growing. "Besides, I still don't know what happened in the alley except that she was dying and then she rejuvenated like some damn vampire." My voice was growing louder with each pounding throb of my head. "For all I know the demon wasn't trying to kill her at all but forcing her to expose who she really is."

I don't know where that thought came from but it made sense. The next thought I had was wondering if there was still warm water. Boy, I must be tired.

"I'm taking a shower then going to bed. I think it's better if I'm NOT awake when she came back, IF she comes back at all."

"Another shower?"

"Shut up, Bob."

-- 

I have to admit a warm shower had to take a couple of hours off my sleep necessity. Waking up at seven-ish this morning I felt relatively refreshed. No cop either calling or banging on my door. Looks like it will be a good day.

Or not.

On my way out the door I saw Kirmani camped on my sofa with Sally nestled in beside him. Grrr. Not in my house, please. They both had their clothes on and probably just fell asleep. Probably. But this is still my house, isn't it? Either way I had more important things to deal with than Sally and another despicable boyfriend.

I came back inside and nudged Kirmani. I thought of worse ways of waking him but I'm a nice guy, right?

"It's not what you think, Dresden." Kirmani extradited his arm from under Sally's head and rolled off the sofa.

Raising my hand to stop his talking and shooting him a I-don't-even-want-to-know look, I said, "You've parked behind me and I have to be at the police station by noon."

Seeing his expression to that little innuendo was worth the trouble of waiting for him to clear out.

Something was troubling me. I headed South instead of my usual North pattern. I hadn't gone two blocks when I saw him. A flower peddler. Not Perini. He sneered at my recognition. I did a U-y in the street and headed back North. Another peddler at Perini's spot. I went West and then back East. There was a hellion watch around my place. Hell's bells, this is serious black mojo here.

"Bob," I shouted when I rushed through the door, leaving it open and the jeep running.

"What is it?" Bob said sleepily though I knew he doesn't sleep.

Sally sat up frightened and stared at me too.

I needed some feedback. "Bob, there's a demon net around a four block radius here." I stopped to think. "What are they planning? It's because of Sally but…" I looked at the rose laying on the coffee table. "Sally did you get that rose from one of the vendors?"

"John gave it to me."

"But did he get it from someone on the street?"

Sally slowly nodded.

"That could possibly weaken the wards," Bob commented. "Make it open for invasion."

"That's my thought. They want her and will kill any one that stands in their way." I closed my eyes to concentrate. "Guess she comes with me."

"Get rid of that, too." Bob added pointing to the rose

"Did you find anything on the wasting spell?"

"A little, it's thaumaturgy to say the least. Not your average garden variety."

"Thaumaturgy?" Sally asked.

Bob took his tutor stance. "Thaumaturgy is a wonder work. It deals with producing a desired effect within the material world. It can be used for the good and produce something like healing. Or it is and most widely used in the Black where it can cause pain, suffering and even death. Such as in the use of voodo and…"

Thank you professor," I cut him off. "We need to be going. Sally, get in the truck."

"Please," Bob added.

"PLEASE get in the damn truck." I made a dramatic bow as the woman skirted past me. I opened the passenger side door for her.

Who says grumpy wizards can't be a well-mannered chevalier. Perhaps if I thought of Sally as more of human being rather than the obvious hell queen that she is I would be kinder, nicer. But with demons roosting in my backyard it's kind of hard.

Before I could close her door a cat leaped into her lap.

"Hello, Micah, how are you this morning?" Sally cuddled the Siamese cat.

"You know this thing? And talk to it?" I queried.

Before she could answer I grabbed the cat, "Sorry, Micah, no hitch-hikers." I felt the surge of power again and dropped the cat unceremoniously on the ground. Watching the cat flee around the building I wondered if I'd done the right thing.

"Harry, sometimes you are very rude."

"I know."

I put the CJ in gear and put heavy pressure on the throttle. I need a soothing cup of tea. But I'll settle for the tar at the police station.

-- 

"Dresden," Murphy acknowledged when she saw me. "And Ms. Margarth."

"Call me Sally, please."

"Oh…kay," Murphy looked uncomfortable. She motioned for Sally to sit down. "What do we owe this pleasure?"

I spoke up. "The person or persons who are responsible for her attack the other night still want to finish the job."

"There has been another threat, Ms…Sally?"

Sally looked at me to answer again.

"Let's just say that Perini's friends are hanging around the neighborhood."

"Dresden, I realize you have a need to protect her, but bringing her here. We've got work to do; I can't discuss the case in front of …"

"Have Kirmani, baby-sit," I interrupted her as I saw him approach us. "I'm sure he will be glad to do it."

"Glad to do what?" Kirmani said as he carried in a couple of Starbuck's Coffees, handing one to Murphy. He saw Sally and quickly looked back at Murphy not even acknowledging Sally. "Lieutenant, what can I do for you?"

I hope for Chicago's sake Kirmani is a better cop than he would be as a criminal. He's not good at covering his tracks and Murphy didn't miss it either. I saw her take in Kirmani's crumpled attire. She looked at Sally. Murphy remembered like I did that Sally was still wearing the same peachy-orange shirt as yesterday. She shook her head, "Kirmani, I don't EVEN want to know about your personal life. But can you take Ms. Margarth and see if the FBI is involved with a Daniel P. Sullivan case out of Philadelphia?"

Murphy caught me smirking as Kirmani led Sally away.

"Dresden, PLEASE, I have work to do." She handed me the package that contained the information on Sullivan. "Not a lot to go on but he stayed at the Burnham two weeks ago. Might find something or someone that remembers him. Do you… ah… talk to your informant last night?"

I was looking at the Medical Examiner's photos. The victim's pose suggested he was more aware and conscious when he got wasted, bad pun, I know. The skeletal hands were drawn over his mouth and face as if to prevent someone or something from sucking the life out of him. That was different. Unlike the others who seem to be asleep or resting, the killer was making this more personal.

"Sorry, Murph, what did you say?"

"Sullivan stayed at the Burnham. Did you talked to … Do you see something in the photos?"

"The other women weren't in pain like he was. The killer is probably a woman."

"What kind of chauvinistic BS is that, Dresden?" Murphy riled.

I'm not going there with Murphy. I respect her and know that she has had to fight her way to where she has gotten in her career and it's been the double standards of men verses women that have stood in her way.

"Angela said that she went to high school with a Ronnie Dinsdale."

"High school?" Murphy was distracted. "Hell, Dresden, you think these killings are from a twenty year grudge or something. Oh, I get it. Women are the only ones that can be vindictive for years."

"I didn't say that." Though I know of a few female creatures that hold grudges, promises and revenge for a lot longer. "Murphy, all I'm saying is that it might be a link and if it is, the killer wanted poor Sullivan to suffer." I looked as apologetic as I could. "You're going to look into that?"

"Yeah, it could be…" Murphy picked up her phone. "Kirmani, check out where our vics went to high school. Dresden and I are going to Burnham… Can you entertain Ms. Margarth until we get back? Good." She hung up the phone, stuff papers in several folders. "Let's go."

-- 

Burnham was a ritzy downtown hotel. Four stars all the way. Sullivan either had connections or money or both to stay here. The ornate gilded lobby was elegant and classy. Not my cup of tea you might say. But Murphy wasn't bothered in the least. It was business, her business and she had work to do.

A tall attractive blonde introduced herself as Monica McCarran, the registration manager, as she led us to her stylish office. McCarran was stylish and graceful as her office reflected. Not a hair strayed from the classic French twist. Her tailored suit fit perfectly to her trimmed figure. She was still a striking beauty even though age was working against her.

Guessing ages of people is not something I try to do. There are different standards for different species. For example, wizards if they aren't killed have a life expectancy of a couple hundred years at least. Vampires, another species that tend to not live out their lifespan, can live well past the half millennium mark. Those in the Nevernever, well, most of them are eternal beings and don't even count age by years.

"Please sit down." McCarran gestured toward the two off-white wingback chairs that faced her large mahogany desk. "How may I help you officers, today?" she said as she sat down primly.

"I'm Lieutenant Murphy and this is Harry Dresden, a consultant that works with us from time to time." Murphy cleared the put down, quickly. "We would like to ask some questions about a guest that stayed here two weeks ago, Daniel P. Sullivan."

The polished woman looked shaken for a quick second when she heard that name before resuming her refined posture. "Is he in some kind of trouble?"

"He's dead." I spoke up.

I don't get into Murphy's interviewing witnesses. It's not police protocol for one thing and another is yet another respect thing that I have for Murphy. She's good at what she does and there is no need to fix what ain't broken. Something bothered me about this woman and I hope it was just her snooty attitude.

Murphy shot me the shut-up-if-you-know-what's-good-for-you look and continued. "We are investigated the death of Mr. Sullivan, do you have a record of his stay here."

"I'm sure we can try," McCarran said while typing quickly at her keyboard. "It says here Mr. Sullivan was from Pennsylvania, what does his death have to do with the Chicago Police?"

"We believe there might be a connection to several homicides here in Chicago," Murphy said.

"Several homicides?" McCarran looked upset. "How horrible. Is that why you are involved Mr. Dresden, a serial killer psychologist perhaps?" She narrowed her eyes and smiled seductively.

I opened my mouth to speak.

"He gives us a different perspective." Shooting another shut-up look my way, Murphy tried to steer this topic from where I was going to take it.

"I'm a wizard." Again I felt more than saw a shift in McCarran.

"How interesting," she said flatly. "Here we are." She turned her monitor toward us, her polished artificial nail tapping the screen. "He stayed with us two nights on the second and third. There were two calls charged to his room and a bar tab." She wrote down the numbers and held the paper out. "Is there anything else?"

"Do you know if he went anywhere, called a cab, anyone seen him with someone?" Murphy knew before she asked that McCarran would have no answers, but she asked anyway.

"Lieutenant Murphy is it? Burnham has hundreds of guests everyday. To remember someone from yesterday is hard enough; two weeks ago is nearly impossible. Sorry I can not help you further with your investigation." McCarran was dismissing us.

I reached my hand out to shake McCarran's hand as a nice gentleman's gesture. "It was a pleasure meeting such a beautiful and charming lady as yourself, Ms. McCarran." I was hoping that I could touch her and find what she was hiding.

She looked at my hand distastefully, smiling and shuffled some non-existing work on her desk. "Likewise, Mr. Dresden, now if you will excuse me I have work to do."

Murphy nearly pushed me out of the office. "What were you trying to do in there," she coldly whispered while we left McCarran's office.

"She's hiding something."

I could tell by her nonverbal clues that she was upset. We walked in silence until we got to the parking garage. Once inside the SUV she let me have. "Dresden, what the hell do you know that I don't?"

Knowing Murphy and not knowing what she was talking about I just kept my mouth shut.

"You wanna know what it looks like to me. You think that every attractive, successful woman is dishonest. That she couldn't have gotten where she is without compromise. Next you are going to tell me that she killed Sullivan," Murphy said indignantly.

Whoa, where did that come from? Something personal is going on with Murphy. "Is this because I thought the killer might be a woman?"

"No!"

She slammed on the brakes at the lights and glared at the pedestrians as they crossed in front of us. I'm beginning to think that I should take my own vehicle from now on.

"Do you think Kirmani might have some information yet?" I said hoping to deflect some of Murphy's anger back into the case.

"Kirmani, you better have something for me," she said curtly into her cell phone. "Good… Okay... Irving, you say?" Murphy calmed down. She read off the telephone numbers that McCarran had given us and hung up.

"The FBI isn't involved yet but it is only a matter of time. Angela Johnson and Veronica Dinsdale graduated from Irving Prep School in '82." Murphy sighed. "That's twenty-five years ago. That can't be the connection and what does some guy from Philly have to do with it?" Murphy was thinking out loud.

She did a U-y in the middle of the street. I'm definitely driving next time. "Where we headed?" I managed to ask while keeping my shoulder from banging the door.

"You're not the only person that can talk to dead people. We're going to Veronica's."


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: All familiar looking characters belong to Jim Butcher and the Sci Fi channel. Furthermore I do not practice, encourage or condone the use of magic in RL**

Chapter 12

We didn't actual talk to Veronica, but the closest person to her. Her mother. If anyone wants to know about a child, grown up or not, ask a loving parent. Rebecca Dinsdale was a sweet old woman who doted on her daughter, especially after Veronica returned to live with her following a crushing divorce. We walked away from the elderly woman after receiving a motherly hug and two hours of almost unless information about Ronnie's life. We did gain a substantial connection, a yearbook and lunch for our troubles.

All three women: Veronica Dinsdale, Angela Romeras Johnson and Madeline Houston O'Keefe graduated in the class of 1982. That was great news but better still, Daniel Sullivan and Monica Thompson McCarran also was in the Irving Prep lineup.

I resisted telling Murphy 'I told you so'. "So, are we going back to Burnham?"

"You're not, Dresden," Murphy said sharply.

"FINE, I've got things to tend to anyways." If she doesn't want to talk to me about her personal problem that's fine with me. Hells bells, I'm no shrink. If she wants to talk to the Burnham witch by herself, it's Murphy's loss. I did have other things to tend to like the neighborhood going to hell, literally.

When we pulled into the police station Murphy didn't shut off the engine.

"Harry, I'm sorry I went off on you this morning..." she paused.

"Murphy, it's okay, I know this case is bothering you…"

"It's not the case, not exactly, these women…" Murphy banged her hands against the steering wheel in frustration. "…were successful career oriented women and they seem to have a life outside their jobs, they had families, a real life."

"Did they, Murphy? I recall they were all divorced and now they're dead. You..." I need to tread carefully here. "…have made sacrifices for what is important. It's been damn hard for you to do what you have done… that's why you're such a good cop."

"My mother called last night."

"Is that what all this is about?" I rolled my eyes.

"Well," Murphy tried to laugh off the problem, "at least Kirmani is finally having some fun with that friend of yours."

"Friend of mine…" I forgot about her again, "You mean Sally?" Kirmani and the princess from the Nevernever? I ginned. "It won't last, trust me."

-- 

"Did you enjoy yourself with Kirmani last night?" I asked Sally as we rode down the freeway. Not that I care any more now than I did this morning when we drove to the police station.

"Very much, thank you. Chicago is very big and has much people, much buildings. John took me to skyscraping building and I felt it move. He said it will not fall over but I am not sure."

I laughed. The Sears Tower is the tallest building in America and a popular tourist attraction of Chicago. Kirmani wasn't especially creative but it seemed to impress the lady.

"We went to diner called Spiagia, it was wonderful and the lake was beautiful."

I laughed that she called Spiaggia's a diner. I revamped my thinking about Kirmani. A meal at Spiaggia's probably cost him a week's pay. I doubt my spaghetti will impress Sally after last night's excursion but who's trying to impress here.

"We are not going to office/apartment?"

"No, we're not," I said as we drove out of the city.

A new place, how exciting…" Sally brightened and then frowned. "You do not bring Bob?"

"Why would I want to bring Bob?"

"You are thoughtless and inconsiderate of others, Harry Dresden."

"What?" I said bewildered. First Murphy and now Sally. I think I would rather be dealing with vampires or werewolves than deal with women.

We drove in silence for another half hour. I fumed. Sally watched the changing scenery.

We were going to an old favorite place of mine where I went when I wanted to get away from the city and talk to woodland creatures and other non-human folks. The national wildlife preservation was ideal for such meetings as well as a great place for target practice. I often came out to these woods when I first settled in the Chicago area. My uncle would bring me out here to work on my skills. But that is history and one that I don't remember fondly. It was a good place for what I had planned for Sally.

We walked into a clearing a few hundred feet from the road, beyond the wide open space a small lake stood. The water was perfect for the strays to drop harmlessly.

I Listened for any human noise, when I was satisfied that we were alone, I turned back to Sally. She had taken off her sandals and was laying face down smelling the grass.

"Get up. Put your shoes on," I barked. "This is no picnic; we are here for defense lessons."

She glared at me and I felt the anger hit me in the face. Good this is what I want. Emotion, strong emotion, she can use it against Perini and his kind. I handed her my staff and showed her how to force the anger into the staff. I aimed the staff toward a fallen branch and told her how to release the energy.

A narrow blue flame flew out of the end and hit the ground beside the branch. Not bad for a first shot.

"Again," I told her.

This time the thin line hit the branch and sizzled.

"Again. This time with more energy," I said expectantly and waited for her to obey.

"No." She threw down the staff and started walking back towards the jeep.

What did I do? I remembered the first time Uncle Justin showed me how to shoot flames. Wow, you couldn't stop me. The more excited I got the stronger the flame, it was intoxicating.

As much as Sally embraced all things around her, I assumed she would get into this with the same exuberance. Is this a woman thing again?

Having longer legs it was easy to overtake her before she reached the CJ. "Sally, why don't you want to learn this?"

Sally looked into my eyes briefly before turning away. "It is wrong… it is Black Thaumaturgy…"

"Thaumaturgy?" I couldn't see the connection. "Here, it's like this." I pulled my pentacle out. I clutched it and concentrated. The bright blue glow surrounded it. "See, like this, but bigger."

She looked at the blue light shinning from the pentacle and then at me. "No, different."

She raised her hand, palm side up and closed her eyes to focus. A blue glowing sphere began forming. It grew to the size of a baseball getting whiter and brighter. "This is bigger," she smiled.

Fine, show me up, princess.

"This is different." The ball turned from white to flame red and then she projected it toward the branch. It smacked the branch with a loud crack, breaking it in half before continuing into the lake where it sizzled as it went under.

"Show off." I turned back to get my staff down by the lake.

She caught my arm. "What is show off?"

I pulled my arm away and continued walking. What was I doing out here anyway? Sally was no damsel in distress. Obviously. She didn't need my help or my protection.

"I am sorry for show off." She spoke softly. "Please do not be angry with me. I will not destroy. I will not fight."

"Who said anything about fighting?"

It was her turn to walk away. I didn't follow her but headed to an old familiar rock.

Later I found Sally with her shoes off again sitting by a fallen log, her toes wiggling in the dark brown dirt. She saw me and hurried to put her shoes on.

"No, leave them off," I said sitting down beside her. The red sun was going down behind the dark evergreens. It was peaceful and the only noise was nature settling in for the night. We needed to get back to the real world but this was relaxing.

I kept my eyes on the sunset. "Listen Sally, I am sorry about earlier. I don't know how I fit into this little plan of yours but if you care to fill me in I won't make an ass out of myself so often."

"Harry, I do not wish to learn how to fight. But there is something I want to learn." She grew quiet again.

"What is it that you want me to teach…?"

Sally took my face in her hands and pressed her warm lips against mine. I started to resist until I felt her tongue gently touch mine. My arms folded around her and I kissed her back. Passionate, sweet, sensual were the thoughts that filtered through my brain before it shut off and the rest of my body geared up.

She melted into the embrace and my mouth moved over the softness of her mouth, to the smoothness of her neck and back again. The kissing continued as I gently pressed her body toward the ground.

She let out a low moan before she gasped and push me away. "Stop, please, stop Harry, this is wrong."

I took a deep slow breath, before jumping up and walking toward the lake. I fired up my staff with the pent-up energy and sent a fire ball clear across the lake. Then another. By the third fireball my staff was hot to touch and smelling like burnt wood.

I walked back to the jeep. Sally was already sitting in the passenger seat. "What the hell was that?" Hopelessly I tried not to yell.

Brushinig the tears from her cheeks, "It wasn't supposed to be like that."

"And what was THAT supposed to be." I yelled again.

"John kissed …"

"KIRMANI, this is about …" How could I have been so stupid? She wasn't trying to seduce me, oh hell, she just wanted …

"Sally…"

She raised her hand to silence me. "Just take me back."

-- 

When Sally and I came through the front door Bob was more careful not to speak when he saw my homicidal expression. Sally walked right through him and into the lab. I slammed my staff down and headed to the back for a beer, wishing I has some whiskey.

I was working on my second brew when the back door burst open and three large and mean-looking men stormed my kitchen. One of those nicely dressed thugs I recognized as Morgan. The others must be his lapdogs or other Wardens.

"Morgan, long time no see."

Morgan waved his hand and a chair came out from the table. "Sit down and shut up, Dresden."

Like I've said before, the Wardens are the bulldogs of the High Council. The Law Enforcers. The guys you don't want to mess with if you are dabble in the Black. I narrowly escaped the death penalty when I killed my uncle in self-defense using Black Magic. There are some members of the High Council and the Wardens that resent the verdict and when anything comes up Black they come looking for me. And what do you know, they're back.

"Looks like you up to your old habits, I knew it was only a matter of time," Morgan gloated.

"What are you talking about?"

Morgan back handed me and nearly knocked me off the chair. "You'll speak when I ask you a question not before."

I rubbed my chin and looked wryly at the crew. They resembled a motley bunch of bullies that enjoyed their jobs too much. I always though I would die by someone else's hand but I honestly didn't think it would be the High Council's. They stood still waiting for instructions from Morgan. But nothing more was coming from Morgan. That was definitely not a good sign.

The wait wasn't long when the fourth person appeared in my kitchen. Ancient Mai. I should have guessed. Ancient Mai is just that, ancient. Part human and part something. She was dangerous AND she was the head of all the wardens worldwide.

"Dresden," Ancient Mai, looked at my reddened face and smiled. "Looks like you have been well treated."

I didn't speak.

She hit me and this time I fell. "Dresden, I want answers."

"Ancient Mai,Whatever you want I will be happy to tell you."

She pulled my head backward by my hair and looked me in the eyes. I focused on her chin. She released me. "Tell me, did you see a necromancer the other night?"

Damn, I'm done for. "I am investigating a homicide."

Morgan stepped in and back-handed me again. "Answer the question."

"Yes."

"Correct, you have prolonged your life perhaps ten minutes longer. Next question, did you cast a Hell Veil two blocks from here the other night?"

"No." I saw Morgan tense. I said quickly, "It wasn't me, I don't know who did it."

"Third and finally question, Dresden," Ancient Mai said slowly. "Answer carefully because your life depends on it. Did you or did you not cast a Darkness web around your neighborhood?"

"Now why should I plant a Den here?" I saw Mai's eyes turn red and her face mask weaken. "Who said it was a Demon net?"

I just contracted hoof-in-mouth disease and the only cure is a beheading.

A Darkness web is like the Hell Veil only bigger, a lot bigger. A powerful sorcerer could pull off one. A Den or Demon Network usually creates its own Darkness web as a by-product. A Den is a lair for demons to work and/or conjugate, for various purposes. All of which are black, evil and deadly.

"There is a demon net surrounding a four block area, but I didn't set it, I don't know who did."

"So let me get this straight," Mai spoke coldly and deadly. "You have gone to a necromancer, there is a Black Veil AND a Den in your neighborhood, black magic has increase tenfold in the past few days and you have nothing to do with it?"

"Pretty much." I was signing my own death warrant.

If it wasn't happening to me I would have guessed that someone was setting up for a territory takeover. Ancient Mai and Morgan were probably thinking the same thing. This isn't looking good at all.

"I've heard all…" Mai started to say. Morgan raised his sword.

"Harry?"

Hells Bells, Sally. I saw her standing in the doorway. Not now.

Too late. Morgan's sword slashed through the air toward Sally, stopping less than an inch from her throat.

She frowned while gently pushing the blade away. "Harry, can I make sandwiches, I haven't eaten since noon."

You could have heard the proverbial pin drop.

Ancient Mai slowly advanced toward the woman. They locked eyes in a soul gaze. Mai turned to Morgan. "We're done here."

"Dresden, we're not finished with you." Mai's departing words before they disappeared.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Sally made sandwiches without saying another word. I was too stunned to say anything either. Bob entered the kitchen and looked at us both and chose not to speak.

It wasn't until Sally returned to the lab that I found my voice. "Bob, I need some help here."

"I think Sally gave you that help."

"Humph, that's a switch, damsel saving wizard in distress."

"But not your ordinary damsel now is she?" Bob hinted.

I shot him a you-don't-even-want-to-know look. I got up, a little unsteady on my feet and took the last beer from the frig. I sat down on the sofa and stretched out. "Bob, I don't get any of this."

Bob followed. "Why don't you tell me about your day? Obviously, THIS started before the wardens got here."

"Yep, Yep, Yep." Closing my eyes trying to block out the pain from being slapped around or the afternoon's memories, I couldn't decide which.

"Harry…" Bob treaded lightly. "What happened this afternoon, a demon attack?"

"I wish," I muttered.

Bob's eyes grew with horror and anticipation.

"I took her out to Cleavy's Point. Thought I would show her some attack spells. You know, for Perini and friends, in case they decide to throw a little party…"

"Let me guess, she didn't want to."

"No…" Puzzled, I asked, "How did you know?"

"Please tell me more."

I rubbed my hand over my forehead trying to rub the memories back into focus. "No, she threw a little temper tantrum. And then she created a light ball the size of a basketball; turned into a fireball and threw it a half a mile hitting the target and then some." I didn't exaggerate much. "Then she said she wouldn't fight. What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Go on, Harry." Bob just stood there with his arms crossed and listened.

"You know something don't you?"

"I will tell you what I think when you are done with your story."

I scowled. "By the way, did you use the words 'thoughtless and inconsiderate' while talking about me?"

Bob shook his head. He tried to conceal the smile with a wave of his hand, "Irrelevant to the context, what happened next. Surely that little fit didn't cause the tears I saw earlier."

"Well, she's no succubus either," I raised my voice as I recalled how the events of the day were escalating.

"This should be interesting."

"Well… she kissed me…" It was hard to think about that kiss as just a kiss.

"It was like something you never felt before."

"Bob, I'm not fourteen anymore, I've kissed and made love to many women. But… yeah, this was different. I felt a powerful energy surge and I don't mean in my pants either. "

"Not that I wouldn't like the tawdry details, but you didn't have sex with her did you?" Bob asked disconcertedly.

"It was headed that way real fast. Vampires don't hold a candle to the hypnotic power she had on me. I didn't care if it killed me, I'd have died a happy man. If a kiss was that powerful, could you have imagined what the sex would have been like?"

"Why then did you stop?"

"She stopped. It wasn't what either one of us were expecting." I was pacing the floor. "Apparently she and Kirmani…"

Bob rolled his eyes. "Oh dear heavens, the detective? Is he … no it shouldn't …" Bob was muttering.

"Bob," I yelled to get his attention. "What are you not telling me?"

Bob chewed on his thumb, deep in thought. "Sally and Kirmani kissed?" He waited for me to nod. "She wanted to learn how to kiss from you, like a teenager's first experimentation. She was comparing you to him." He laughed hysterically. "Priceless."

"Bob," I sneered.

Wiping tears from his eyes, Bob continued, "If this wasn't so serious, it would be hilarious, please allow me a few minutes of pure entertainment."

Looking back I suppose it could be construed as funny, but it still didn't bring a smile to my lips. "Bob your minute is up. If you are able to contain your amusement," I mocked. "Tell me what the hell is going on. Who is she?"

Yet Bob didn't answer me but asked another question. "What did you make of Ancient Mai's visit?

"Don't change the subject," I yelled.

"I'm not."

"Mai was going to serve my head up on a platter to the High Council for starting a demonic uprising when Sally walks past a warden's sword, looks at Mai and then its over, well, not exactly over, they promised to be back." Dazed and totally confused I was through asking.

"Bob, I command you to tell me who she is."

"She is, to the best of my knowledge, an Elder Nestling."

"A what?"

"There is so little information anywhere on Elders that it is just an educated guess. An Elder Nestling, an eternal being-child" he added, "for the moment." He paced and I sat down.

"Explain yourself."

"Harry, this might be how Elders are born or created. I absolutely don't know, but think about it, when Sally first came to us, she was a babe, innocent, naked and pure. You said it yourself when you soul gazed that she was a child. Then we have watched her grow up, quickly I might add, from finding safety in her protective circle, a cocoon for no better word, through the exploration of her new world. And recently her adolescent behavior in discovering clothes, rebellious tempers tantrums and experimentation with the opposite sex."

"So she is an uber demon from the Nevernever but not one who has forgotten who she is, just one that hasn't learned it yet?"

"Not exactly, Harry."

"What does that mean exactly?"

"She is still neutral. She hasn't chosen which path to follow, yet."

"So…" I started to say something.

"I won't be surprised if we see more of the High Council and more demonic attacks."

There was silence while we both thought along those lines.

"There is one thing I don't get."

"Only one?" Bob mused.

"I can accept she is an Elder child; she is just coming into her powers, she hasn't chosen either the light or dark path yet and that both side are going to try to persuade her decision. I get all that. But there still's one thing bugging me."

"And what is that, Harry?"

"When I was holding her in the alley when I thought she was dying…"

"Yes, your coat still has all that blood…" Bob stopped. He realized it too.

"Bob, she can't be from the Nevernever, she is human, sort of."


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 15

I dreaded opening my eyes to the new day. The warm shower this morning did nothing to refresh or encourage me, but only reminded me of the difficultly that was sleeping in my lab below.

Bob and I talked into the wee hours of the morning planning and replanning our strategy only to conclude that there was little we could do to stop the evitable. Sally will have to choose for herself which path she wants.

I feel old, as if I have aged twenty years over night. That must be how parents feel when their children have grown up and are ready to leave home. I can better understand my father's protective behavior when he forbade me to use my magic when I was a child. Guarding me from those who might see me as a potential tool in their greedy plans as my uncle finally did.

I looked in the mirror as I combed my hair for any grey hairs. Surely, I deserve a few for my troubles.

I settled down at my desk with a hot cup of coffee and the Tribune. Yes, it still had a warm spot on it. No, I didn't see the culprit this time. I have become accustomed to catching glimpses of their fleeting furry masses whenever I entered or left my place. I have no clue as to who the cats are or to which side they belong but they are not disturbing. Perhaps they are neutrals like the Raven clan.

The phone rang. Just as I was about to answer it there was a lot of banging on my front door. I picked up the phone and said quickly, "Can you hold please."

"Open the door." Bob said after looking to see who it was.

"I'm trying." I saw for myself who was trying to break it down. "Morgan." Opening the door widely so he could come in, "Using the front door, that's a first."

"Official High Council business," he snarled.

"You mean last night wasn't official?"

"Don't push it, Dresden." He put his hand on the hilt of his sword that was slightly exposed under his brown cashmere overcoat. "Is your houseguest available?"

"Available for what?" I just had to push. "No, she is still sleeping. I'll tell her you stopped by."

"I'll wait."

I motioned to Bob. I pick up the phone again, "Harry Dresden."

"Sounds like you're busy."

"Lt. Murphy, how can I help you?

"You don't sound right. Are you okay?"

"No, I'm not busy," I grinned at Morgan. "What's going on?"

"The department has assigned a personal security detail for Monica McCarran on your…"

"You what?" I yelled into the phone. It was Morgan's turn to grin. "How did, no, why did you think it was my idea to protect this woman?"

"Based on your theory that these killings are some kind of high school revenge, McCarran is a possible target."

"How so?"

"She and the other women were the popular girls, McCarran was Prom Queen, O'Keefe and Johnson were cheerleaders."

"And Sullivan?"

"He was the class jock. All American football and track star. Someone might be out for a long overdue revenge party. But..." Murphy sighed. "We have a problem. There was another murder last night. Male, 62 years old, no way is he connected with the others."

"Same wasting curse?" I asked looking to see if Morgan was listening.

"Same M.O. whatever hocus-pocus they used. Do you want to come with me?"

"Murphy I'd love to, but…" I didn't want to tell Morgan that Sally would be alone for a while.

"Right, Sally. Do you want me to send Kirmani over?"

"You know that is a great idea." The idea was actually debatable. "I'll wait 'til he gets here." I hung up the phone.

Morgan and I stared at each other.

"Morgan, sorry you have to wait so long. You know how these princesses are, gotta look just right, don't care who they keep waiting." Morgan jaw twitched. "While you are waiting want to pass the time on some trivial banter?" I didn't wait for him to tell me no. "What do you know about wasting curses?"

"I don't do the Black, Dresden, that is more your area of expertise."

"Yeah, but you gotta know about them, right, or do you just know how to swing a blade?"

"Wardens have studied various venues of magic as part of our training."

"So a wasting curse is thaumaturgy right?"

"Thaumaturgy, humph, you so thickheaded you are dangerous."

"Enlightened me then, Morgan, how does someone cast a wasting curse?

Morgan looked bored. "The wasting is not thaumaturgy but theurgy. Te'ba fuels a wasting curse. You do know what Te'ba…"

Morgan stopped talking when Sally appeared in the hallway. Morgan bowed and held up an envelope without raising his head.

"Oh please." I couldn't help feeling nauseated by Morgan's show of honor.

Sally took the envelope, returned the bow and said "Thank you Warden Morgan." She read the note aloud. It was an invitation to meet the High Council the last day of May. That was about two weeks away. "Tell Luhng Mai I accept."

"What? I didn't get an invitation," I said sarcastically.

"Yours is more of a summons, Dresden, appear or die." Morgan sneered at me, bowed to Sally and left.

"Well that was interesting. I thought they would have taken a little longer to attack." Bob commented.

"Attack?" Sally inquired.

"Never mind, Princess." I grabbed my hoodie and headed for the door. "Kirmani's coming over to stay with you, Sally. Please don't go anywhere. Order pizza, play pachisi and relax, get to know Kirmani." An image flashed through my brain. "Well, not get to know Kirmani. Bob will be here if you need anything, like a chaperone. Please stay here."

"Bob, look up Te'ba in connection with a wasting curse and then keep an eye on things." I motioned toward Sally inconspicuously. "There was another murder last night, I'm going with Murphy."

--- 

The newest victim was an Italian dry cleaner in downtown Chicago. Same wasting curse, but it didn't fit my profile at all. Hey, everyone gets upset at the cleaners who are constantly messing up orders or clothes, but not enough to kill them. Personally, I'm still going with the high school revenge theory.

It was mid-afternoon when I returned home. There was no one in sight. "Bob?"

"Harry, I couldn't stop her." Bob looked worried. "She left with Kirmani about an hour ago. She said that they were going to Wal-Mart."

"Wal-Mart?" Teenagers. I shook my head.

I called Murphy up, got Kirmani's cell phone number after convincing that Kirmani wouldn't be able to protect Sally if Perini and friends went looking for her. I called Kirmani, no answer. I waited five minutes, called again. I paced the floor. I called again. Still no answer. I called Murphy. She would put out a trace. My compassion for parents grew exponentially.

"Bob, why am I so worried? We talked all this out last night. It is going to be up to her what she does, right? She's grown up enough to know how to take care of herself, I saw that yesterday."

"Harry," sighed Bob, "You did all that you could do. She made her choice to leave your protection. Let her go."

"I can't." I screamed. "It's tearing me up inside."

"To think you only kissed her."

"What?"

"You and her. Connected. A bond created through an intimate touch, a passionate kiss. Her energy with your energy. Imagine the 'what if' had you gone farther than a kiss."

"You mean like a succubus. A devil woman that won't leave my mind. She'll slowly drain energy from me."

"If she had chosen, yes, but she had not. She was still pure when you kissed. If she remains pure and willing, she will share her energy with you during the deed."

"Okay whatever." I stormed into the lab. "I've got to get my mind off of her. Bob, what do you have on Te'ba?"

"Te'ba means abomination in English. The populatio vomica or wasting curse is fuel by an abomination. Such as a black heart consumed by pride, self-idolatry, moral corruption and the like. It can't get any worse than that."

"So we just have to find a selfish S.O. B. that is in love with himself or herself." I thought of McCarran, she'd probably fit into that category. "Do you think a scrying spell will work on Sally?"

"I thought we were talking about the curse?" Bob grimaced. "I suppose since she is at least partly human."

"Be quiet, Bob, I'm concentrating." Bob was scolding me for not providing grooming items for Sally. I found a couple of Sally's long hairs discarded from my brush and had complained that she had used my stuff again. Hey, I can't think of everything. Besides this visit of her wasn't my idea in the first place let alone thinking it as a long-term living arrangement.

"Fine."

"Fine."

I had the crystal prepared and with staff in hand, I headed for the door. The phone rang. Damn. Wait, it might Kirmani or Murphy. "Hello, Dresden here." I wish I could have caller I.D. on my rotary phone.

"Harry?"

Hells bells. The first name. Coming from a flat sounding Murphy. "What's happened, Murphy?"

"Stay there, I'm on my way to pick you up."

I heard the stress in her voice. "Murphy, its Sally, isn't it, what happened? Damn it to hell. Kirmani. I'm gonna kill him if he isn't dead already."

"You won't… At least he held on long enough..."

"I don't give a damn about Kirmani, where the hell is Sally?" I screamed at the phone.

"Harry, you can do your magic to find her right?"

"Oh God, please." I dropped the phone.

Bob tried to be comforting. "She has survived a brutal attack before, Harry, she will survive again."

I stared at the ghost. Finally, that idea filtered past the emotions. "Yeah, she can heal herself right?" I said with some enthusiasm. "She's coming into her powers, she'll kick butt."

"Absolutely." Bob tried to sound hopeful.

However, I heard the sad undertone. I remembered, too. I grabbed the first thing, my crystal ball, and threw it and with it my energy. "She won't fight," I screamed.

The super-charged crystal slammed the brick wall and exploded into thousands of flaming sparklers as Murphy rushed through the door. She shielded her face from the tiny fireballs and didn't see Bob leave.

"Harry?" Her voice reflected the fear when she saw my face.

I was angry. Angry wizards are worst than grumpy wizards. I stood there letting the rage settling down around me like a glove. I'm going to... I need to… strike, hurt, I wanted to kill.

"Okay, Harry, calm down," Murphy tried unsuccessfully. She came over and hit me with that right hook of hers. Ouch, after last night's pounding my chin didn't need much encouragement to hurt. She grabbed my shirt and got into my face. "Dresden, damn it, this is not the time to be angry. Not. Now. We have to find her."

"Uh, sorry, Murph."

"Come on."

--- 

We headed for the last known address, the Wal-Mart parking lot. Over the voices of the police scanner Murphy filled me in.

"Kirmani and Sally were attacked in the parking lot. He was struck from behind, two men took Sally, and they got into a blue van driven by a third person

Hells bells, three of them. "How is Kirmani?" I was sincere. I knew that he could not have stopped the attack if the perpetrators were demonic in nature. Hell, I probably couldn't have stopped three hellions. Kirmani would be dead for sure, if there was any struggle.

"He'll live. Harry, you know that he couldn't stop…"

"Murphy, I know."

The lights blaring and with Murphy's driving we were pulling into the lot in less than 15 minutes. I had the crystal out and it spun to the opposite direction. "She's this way."

"There's a park close by," Murphy added. She radioed her intentions and we headed toward the park as the crystal indicated.

"Oh hell," I moaned when I saw the van down an embankment, abandoned, side door opened.

"Dresden, are you sure…"

I didn't hear the rest as I was already out the door and headed down. Murphy caught up to me after calling in the situation. "Dresden." She jerked me around.

"Murphy I have to do this."


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

"At least she is alive."

That's what Murphy said when she dropped me off.

I reassured her that I would be all right so she would leave. I was anything but alright. I was confused, angry and heartbroken. I felt alone, abandoned and fearful. Not since my parents deaths have I allowed myself to open up to these feelings.

Who ever said 'It is better to love and lose than never to love at all' can go to hell.

I let my hand slip from the door handle as Murphy pulled away. I started walking. Aimlessly. It was only moments before I found my direction.

Two blocks and I found him. Perini. Rosey. Demon.

There were only a few people on the sidewalk where he was peddling his flowers. The High Council would be all over me if they knew what was going down. However, with the demon net surrounding this area it would be unlikely if they would pick up anything.

It heightened my dark mood and strengthened my anger. I aimed my staff and channeled all my emotions into it. The discharge sounded like thunder as the bolt of energy struck Perini, throwing him thirty feet in the air.

I knew I didn't kill him but he was hurting. I liked that.

Perini slowly got to his feet, examining the smothering hole in his chest. "Wizard, do you wish to die?"

With a snap of his fingers, a darkness veil fell around us, obscuring the people and buildings. Good, just him and I.

"Why did you do it?" I said powering up my staff again. He was ready this time and batted the flame away, leaving his shirtsleeve scorched.

"What are you talking about?" He shouted before sending a fireball of his own toward me. "Perhaps, there is more on your mind besides last thoughts of me killing you."

I jumped but the searing flame burned into my shoulder. "Why did you have her beaten and raped?" I shot an energy bolt, missing him completely.

He let the fireball evaporate in his palm instead of throwing it. "Wizard?" he sounded surprised. "I was not aware that these events took place."

"Why should I believe you?" I didn't lower my staff; it remained steadily aimed at his face.

He stopped his approach. "You shouldn't, but I am telling the truth." He smiled. "It was my impression that you were doing a reasonable job."

"Me?" It was my turn to be surprised.

"Come now, wizard, do you think we would let you keep such a trophy and do nothing but peddle flowers all day." He saw that he had my attention but not my understanding. "Apparently someone grew impatient and decided to step things up a bit. We can be a little edgy when flowers sales are down."

"You're telling me that you didn't want her turned?"

"On the contrary, I wanted to gain more than just her for the cause."

The realization struck. "You wanted both of us." I powered up my staff. "Well, you can see that isn't happening."

"Yet," he mused. "I have plenty of time…" Perini countenance changed to deadly grimace.

"You are inconsequential, human and you grow tiresome."

"Human now is it?" I laughed. "No, you won't kill me today, demon." I turned my back on him and walked away.

-- 

"Hey there," I said softly coming over to the bed when I heard Sally moan.

My heartstrings still burned when I saw the silent woman on the hospital bed. Her face and body still wore the marks of the assault. It surprised me that she hadn't healed yet. She didn't acknowledge my presence but stared blankly ahead. Maybe it's the trauma or the sedatives the doctors gave her. On the other hand, it could be something far worse.

"Sally, look at me."

No reaction.

"Look at me, Sallamatgafreth," I commanded.

Slowly her head moved and she met my eyes.

She had once seen my soul and cowered in fear. I doubt that this would be the case now. If she had turned, if she had lost her soul, there would be nothing for me to see.

Similar to our first soul gaze I was falling through dark space. I once again hit the ground. There was no Sunnybrook meadow here. It was black as a Hell Veil or Hell itself. While gaining back my breath, I wondered about my other soul gazes with dark creatures. Was it nothingness I saw or was it this darkness?

I could only see blackness but I heard crying, sad mournful, devastating crying.

-- 

Bob was devastated when he heard the story of Sally's assault, the confrontation with Perini and my soul gaze with Sally.

"So she has chosen," he said despondently.

"Maybe not. Maybe what I saw was the turning but it isn't complete yet. It's not over for Vampires until their first kill."

"There is still hope." Bob seemed to be trying to convince himself.

"Bob, you should have seen the bodies or what was left of them."

I shuddered at the memories of what I saw inside of the van. At the time, I could only see what had been done to Sally. Looking back, I remembered the equally disturbing dismemberment of the perpetrators. They were human beings, scumbags definitely, but human all the same. The whole scene was violent and evil.

The most frightening thing was the thought that if I were Sally I would have done the same thing. It was exactly how I felt when I first heard of her abduction. If Murphy hadn't been there to stop me… no use in thinking about that now.

"When you saw her at the hospital she had not rejuvenated, yet?" Bob questioned as he paced the floor in his usual cognitive mode.

"Yeah, I was thinking about that. Do you think they did something else to her?"

"Remember we were talking yesterday about if you and Sally would have, I mean if you had, if she was pure and willing?"

"There would be a sharing of power. I remember, but this wasn't pure and definitely not willing."

"Exactly my point."

"Where are you going with this, Bob?"

"What if there was a surge of power…" Bob was still struggling with the idea, "maybe she didn't purposely kill them. She still hasn't chosen."

"That would explain the first rapist's end but not the second. No, that doesn't make sense."

"But neither does letting them brutalize her then she decides to kill them."

"What if she didn't kill them at all?" I had a start of an idea. "Bob, didn't you tell me that she thought I fought the attacker in the alley?"

"Yes, but you didn't." Bob didn't get it yet.

"But that means she didn't either. What if…"

"Someone else fought it or chased it away."

"What if someone else was in the van and killed her attackers. What would you do for someone who has saved your life once, maybe twice…?"

"Sell my soul perhaps" Bob groaned.

"That son of a bitch."

"Who?"

I snarled, "Perini.

-- 

"What do you mean GONE?" When Murphy stormed my office in the morning. She apparently found Sally missing from the guarded hospital room. "Gone, as in you helped her leave?"

"Gone, as in I couldn't stop her."

"Couldn't stop her? That's a bunch of bull…" She saw the pain in my face. "So she is really gone?"

"I'm afraid so, it was only a temporary thing anyway."

"I'm sorry."

"Yeah, me too.


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: All familiar looking characters belong to Jim Butcher and the Sci Fi channel. Furthermore I do not practice, encourage or condone the use of magic in RL. **

Chapter 16

And life goes on. You pick up the pieces of your heart and put them back together. All the while you remind yourself that you are never going to let that happen again.

With Sally gone, things pretty much went back to the way they were before her arrival. No more flower peddlers on every corner of my neighborhood. No more warm newspapers or glimpses of fur balls.

Life felt a little empty. Hey, that's what fuels grumpy wizards. It left me grumpy that I read the end of the book and the hero didn't get the girl or even find out who she was.

I went to Angela Johnson's funeral, not really to pay my respects but to relay the messages to her daughter and son. Little Victoria remembered the butterfly tree that she thought was so pretty and said she would keep that promise with her mother. I had a feeling that she would see or at least feel her mother's presence sooner and more often.

Chad on the other hand, when I passed on the warning, turned even whiter than his usual Goth style allowed him. We talked a while and he promised that he would stop by the office for some real lesson on the danger of Black Magic.

For the last ten days I was able to concentrate on the serial case with Murphy. McCarran wasn't a target like Murphy thought but was a suspect. I knew she was the murderer but I couldn't prove it or figured out the motive until a few days ago.

It was at the twenty-fifth alumni party for the class of '82 that the motive became crystal clear, twisted as it was by pride and self-idolization, McCarran wanted to take out her competition. In her mind she still had be the Prom Queen.

But when you mess with Black Magic, Black Magic messes with you. There is always a price to pay. McCarran found out about payday.

The party or dance was the final celebration of the weekend long affair with such activities as High Tea; a Head race-don't ask it's something to do with rowing a boat and other sporting events; a Barbequed picnic and Banquet. I guess I missed all this fun by not attend regular school let alone a preppy school.

Murphy and I attended the Irving Prep School alumni dance. Murphy said that 'I clean up well'. Murphy looked fantastic in a long burgundy gown, her hair done up, but she wouldn't let me compliment her without a threat to do me bodily harm. That warning went for the slow dance as well and I still can't call her Connie.

There were well over two hundred alumni and their guests on the dance floor. Monica McCarran was radiant on the arm of her handsome husband. She didn't even miss a step when I accidentally on-purpose bumped into the couple.

She was the most enchanted woman there and I mean literally. When I bumped into her I was able to drop an enchantment potion of my own on her. One that brings the best or worst as in this case out in a person.

During the band's intermission, Sandra Collins was to announce the weekend's King and Queen. Sandra was a pleasant woman and the chairperson for all the Class Reunion activities. She was on Murphy's suspect list for a while when we found out that she had contacted everyone, including our vics.

Monica was selected as the Alumni Queen. No surprise there. When she walked up to receive her crown and roses she didn't anticipate the unusual response that she received from her former classmates.

Some women screamed; others fainted and the rest gasped as they saw an old hag hobble across the stage. Guess my potion was working. She shrieked in horror as she felt the rough furrowed leather that once was her face. Her hands shriveled into long black claws.

The potion would only last a few hours but Monica didn't know that. The effect convinced Monica to confess to the murders and beg me to remove the curse.

She murdered the women who were her friends in high school when she thought she was no longer beautiful and loved. Daniel Sullivan was her high school sweetheart. She planned on killing him after he refused to sleep with her when he came to Chicago. Luigio, the dry cleaner, was McCarran's cleaner. Even though he screwed up on her orders, she had him killed to throw us off the track.

I still don't know how she performed the curse. It is Black Magic, deadly black magic. I don't need to or want to know how it was done. One less thing the High Council can accuse me of knowing.

The High Council. The meeting with Sally and me with them. At the end of the month. Damn I forgot about it and it is this afternoon. They are going to be pissed that I haven't told them that Sally is gone. I wonder if they still want to see me.

I picked up the phone receiver to call Morgan.

"Dresden?" Murphy's voice called out.

"Hello Murphy, what can I do for you?"

"How did you know...?"

"I'm a wizard," I lied.

"Well, wizard, I think we found Sally." Silence. "It might be Sally, it fits her description." Still more silence. "I need your help…"

"I'm not identifying any bodies, Murphy." I finally spoke.

"Who said anything about bodies? The owner of a motel says a young woman matching Sally's description got a room about two weeks ago, paid cash for a month, looked pretty beat up. The maid or anyone else hasn't been able to open the door. SWAT can't even break the door down. There is some damn force field or something around it. Can you come and take a look?"

I laughed. "Not the end of the book, yet."

"Dresden?"

"I'm coming."

I pulled the CJ into the motel's parking lot. I smiled when I saw the yellow tabby sitting on one of the squad cars.

"Murphy."

"Dresden."

"Kirmani, good to see you back on the force."

"Thank you, it's good to be back." Kirmani said without much emotion. Then looking more apprehensive he asked, "Do you really think that Sally has been in there all this time? Is she alright?"

"I know she is in there. And that she probably is perfectly fine." I grinned at them. They don't have to know all my secrets.

I took out my hockey stick/staff and asked Murphy to send all the extras home.

Kirmani, Murphy and I walked up to the door of Room 118. Murphy tried to knock but her hand didn't even touch the door. "See what I mean."

Kirmani spoke next. "There is a blue light under the door."

Interesting. I sent energy into my staff and gently touched the ward. The ward around the door shone a brilliant green before turning into a puff of smoke.

Murphy knocked on the door making contact this time. Still no answer but the blue light faded.

She knocked again. "Sally, this is Murphy, are you all right?"

There was the noise of the safety lock opening and then Sally poked her head out of the door. "Lieutenant Murphy, Harry?" She saw Kirmani. "John, I am so glad that you are well."

Kirmani smiled and said, "I'm fine. May we come in?"

She stepped back out of the way and we all went into the motel room. It was intriguing that the room didn't look like someone had been cooped up here for twelve days.

In fact, it didn't look like any one had been here for two hours. The bed cover wasn't disturbed. The smell from the air freshener that the maids spray when they have cleaned still lingered. No glasses uncovered, or towels used.

"Is there a problem, Lieutenant?" Sally spoke when Murphy finished her search.

"We were just worried that's all."

"Harry, did you not inform them of my departure?"

"I did, but that was almost two weeks ago…" Sally cut me off.

"A fortnight?" She looked surprised. "What day is it?"

"May thirty-first," Kirmani finally spoke.

Sally searched my face for acknowledgement. "Harry, we have an appointment."

Turning to Murphy and Kirmani, she straightened her posture and spoke in a dignified tone. "As you can see I am fine, forgive me if my absence caused you any discomfort, it was not my intentions. If there is a legal problem I will be happy to rectify it immediately, however, Mr. Dresden has promised to escort me to my appointment and I must prepare. So if there is nothing further…"

She paused to see all three of us with our mouths open. No longer was this an excitable young woman but a regal woman who stood before us.

"Kirmani, I don't see any reason to stay here." She walked out Kirmani right behind her.

"John," Sally called out, "If I don't see you again…" she leaned into him and kissed him on the cheek, "thank you for everything, I will always remember you."

"Goodbye Sally," he said with pain in his voice and left.

For whatever reason I didn't feel threatened or the least bit afraid of Sally. It was good to see her again.

Sally took my hand, gently kissed it then breathed on it.

I felt energy spreading into my hand and up into the rest of my body. I felt a comforting peace flood my heart and mind.

"Tell me, Harry, does your water still run warm?"

"Huh," My brain didn't feel like functioning. What are you saying?

"Your shower is it still warm?"

Shower, oh yeah, water is fine."

"Harry, shall we go to your place?"

Oh yeah, my jeep is right outside, I don't think I can drive, I feel … What is she doing to me… I feel like I'm drifting…. "Sally, the jeep is…"

"Open your eyes, Harry."

I opened them and felt Sally move away from me. We were standing in my office. Whoa.

"Bob," Sally called out.

"Sally?" Bob walked through the wall. "Sally…" He stood there speechless.

"Bob, is my robe still in the lab?" Bob nodded. She smiled, "Good, be a kind soul and bring it with you. I wish to speak to you while I bathe."

"Sally, I…" Bob looked to me for help. I still hadn't gotten over the shock of the last few minutes.

"Bob, I realize that you think you can not interact with this plane of existence but will you at least humor me and make an attempt?" Sally said firmly.

Surprised and hopeful Bob disappeared into the lab. Only to reappear seconds later with robe in hand. "How?"

She smiled and reached out toward his face. Hells Bells, her hand touched his ethereal face.

"Come, there is much to discuss," she looked at the clock on the desk, "and so little time."

A/N Next is the final chapter- I promise


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: All familiar looking characters belong to Jim Butcher and the Sci Fi channel. Furthermore I do not practice, encourage or condone the use of magic in RL. **

Chapter 17

The High Council of Wizardry is an association of the elite practitioners of magic. Practitioners come in all degrees of skill, ability and of course morality. Only those that 1) can pass the qualifying exam of magical skills, 2) shown some kind of responsibility and 3) have agreed to uphold the Laws of Magic are allowed into the High Council.

Belonging to the High Council of Wizards is a feather in my cap. It is a cap that I seldom wear.

Joining was not an option for me, but a requirement. My uncle, Justin Morningway, High Council member, demanded it from me. At the time I believed it was the right thing to do. They were the good guys in the white hats. Little did I know that wizards like my uncle would take off the white hat whenever it suited them.

I have been to only a handful of Council meetings and only one meeting with the Senior High Council. The Senior Council is the best of the best. The seven member council was the highest level of authority in the wizarding world and the Merlin was the leader. The last time I appeared before the Senior Council I was on trial for the death of my uncle which they ruled as "self-defense."

I wasn't looking forward to standing in front of this superior committee again after being summoned for what appeared to be an executable offense. Sally's interaction with the Senior High Council will be the mitigating factor. Sally, the now grownup version, will either rescue me or have me killed. I have to believe that if she wanted to kill me she would have done so already. Or at least that is what I hoped for as I walked the long marbled corridor toward the towering ornate doors at the end.

Sally and Morgan walked two paces in front of me. Morgan had wanted to escort Sally alone to the council chambers and then return for me. It was obvious the Merlin intended to keep the two meetings separate. The Hell Queen had a different plan. She informed Morgan that I would be escorting her or she wouldn't be attending. Hail to the Queen. I think.

The massive doors swung open. Morgan stopped allowing Sally to enter first, his extended arm held me back. Whether it was protocol or a test was unknown to me, but Sally sailed over the Threshold effortlessly. The wards burned brightly as she passed without hindering her. Morgan and I passed through with only a brief flicker of warm green glow.

Two grey-cloaked wardens appeared on either side of Sally and escorted her to the front of the chamber. She glanced back to see whether I was following. She grinned before resuming her regal airs and walked into the partially formed circles, stopping on the axis point as if she already knew the Council requirements.

The two wardens closed the circles empowering the High Ward. It was not until the ward was in place that five members of the Senior Council stepped up to their seats behind the long podium.

Hells Bells, this was no friendly gathering. Flashbacks of my trial exploded in my brain.

One of two things was happening here. Either the Council wanted to intimidate Sally or Sally scares the hell out of them. The high and mighty Senior Council feeling threatened. I smiled at the thought. The smile vanished, when I remembered that in the past six weeks since Sally arrival the same fear lingered in my mind.

The ominous lighting focused on Sally's position while only partially illuminated the panel of wizards. I felt, rather than saw into the darkened gallery, the presence of several others. Morgan pushed me toward a bench forcing me to sit or fall. I sat while the hairs on the back of neck remained standing.

Sally gave the Council no indication of fear or apprehension. In the same manner as when I first saw her, Sally stood silently, head bowed, her robe covering all visibility of her person in the warded prison.

Let the games begin.

As if the Merlin heard my thoughts he stood and spoke in Latin addressing Sally, "Altus Concilium of Veneficus exspectata quod gratiae vos pro recipero nostrum invitation."

Ah… I racked my brain trying to translate. The Council … welcomes …thanks … accepting invitation.

Sally spoke not in Latin but in English. "I would prefer English. It is most gracious of the High Council to ask for a gathering, however…" She reached out and touched the barrier of the High Ward. "Is it your custom to incarcerate visitors as a welcoming gesture?"

Alright, cut to the chase, I gloated.

The Merlin adjusted the collar of his black robe, "It was necessary…"

"Do you know who we are?" Liberty said arrogantly.

Martha Liberty is a willowy, black woman, having her grey hair pulled into a tight bun, like her attitude. She's a good enough person just a stickler for decorum and respect.

Ancient Mai murmured, "She knows who we are."

"And how does she know that?" Liberty shot back. "Did you tell her?"

The Merlin cleared his throat. I heard someone chuckle near me.

Senior Council member LaFortier, who reminded me of the emaciated corpses I had recently seen, spoke next.

"Miss, we do not know what to call you, could you tell us your name?"

Back to the game. The council is wasting little time to gain control. First, the High Ward, now asking for her name. I closed my eyes, hoping she has learned how potentially dangerous answering that question was.

"Monsieur LaFortier, que c'est Mesdemoiselles Yvette?" Without missing a breath Sally continued, "I will answer you when you have answered me. Why am I being imprisoned?"

Way to go Sally. I don't know what she said in French but it shut down old baldy.

"It is for our protection," the gatekeeper's deep voice sounded from beneath the dark hood.

"I will not harm you," Sally replied.

The Merlin spoke, "You give your word."

"I give my word that I will not injure you."

Ancient Mai gave the last provocation.

Sally bowed toward Ancient Mai, "Luhng, do you fear me also? I give my spoken word that the High Council or anyone in this room will not be harmed this day, including Wizard Dresden. "

Sally's statement caused many in the room to squirm, especially me. What does this have to do with me?

The Merlin had to pound his gavel on the podium to bring silence to the room. He nodded at Morgan. With the thrice spoken oath, the council felt secure therefore the need for the High Ward was unnecessary.

Sally lowered the cowl of her robe and scanned the room. She smiled at me while Morgan was breaking the ward. The gasps and murmurs were loud enough that the Merlin has to use his gavel again.

"Silence," he bellowed. "Now, Miss…"

"My friends call me Sally."

"Err…" The Merlin words stuck in his throat.

I shouldn't be enjoying this, knowing somehow that I am involved, but the game they're playing is absolutely incredible.

"Sally, may we proceed?" It was Ancient Mai that committed to the friendship vow.

"Yes, shall we proceed?" The Merlin regained his voice. "We are interested in expanding our knowledge and would feel honored if you would share some information about yourself since you have us at a disadvantage in knowing us and we know nothing of you."

"What do you want to know?" Sally said warmly.

The Merlin asked, "Why did you come here?"

"It was not intentional,"Sally replied.

"You made a mistake?" "You wanted to go somewhere else?" "Where were you going?"

"Please," Sally said raising her hands for silence, "It is rude and impetuous to ask several questions at once."

"Our sincere apologies, Sally," the gatekeeper spoke solemnly.

The Merlin pressed forward, "Did you say that you were planning to go somewhere else but ended up here?"

"I did not plan on going anywhere. I chose nothing."

"It was someone else that brought you to come here?"

"Yes."

"You admit that someone summoned you here," piped LaFortier.

"Absolutely not."

Liberty asked, "Do you know our Laws of Magic?"

Before Sally answered Ancient Mai asked, "Did Dresden seek beyond the outer gate?"

"No way!" I was up on my feet and shouted before I realized it.

"Ah, Wizard Dresden," the Merlin acknowledged, "There are some here that believe that you are again the reason we are called together in yet another uncomfortable situation. It was not our intention to sort out your involvement in the presence of our guest." He nodded to Sally. "However since the matter has come up, please step forward."

I jetted down the aisle before the wardens were able to approach me. I walked past Sally and stood directly in front of the Merlin as the wardens pulled up on either side of me. Why can't I learn to keep my big mouth shut?

The Merlin shuffled some papers in front of him until he pulled out a long yellowed parchment, "Wizard Dresden, you have been charged and found guilty on the following: Count One: Practicing necromancy by purposely and deliberately communicating with the dead. Count Two: Summoning Dark Creatures to create a Hell Veil and Net. Count Three: Opening the Outer Gates."

There were more gasps and gossip from the gallery.

"The punishment for these violations is execution, to be carried out…" the Merlin stopped as he remembered Sally's oath. If the Council executed me here and now, Sally's pledge would be void. "…to be carried out at a later date. Warden Morgan would you escort the prisoner out."

I felt the magical shackles appear on my wrists and the hands of the two wardens tighten around my arms. I turned to Sally, "You knew, didn't you?"

She didn't look at me but rather at the Merlin. She spoke. "Stop."

Everything and everyone stopped. Frozen in their places except for Sally and me. I stepped away from the immobilized wardens. The manacles fell from my wrists at the sound of the snap of Sally's fingers. I froze on my own accord, too shocked to move.

"It was Mai's intention from the night of her visit to have you exterminated," Sally stated. "Since I have given my word, your council will go unpunished, for now. Do you wish to leave or remain while I finish my business?"

"Hell yeah, I'm staying."

"Then will you stand beside me, Harry?"

I started to walk closer to this powerful being. No wait. Her words. Is she still playing the game?

"I see you have questions, like your council, what do you wish to know?"

"All I have ever wanted from you is to know who you are, where did you come from and lastly why me?"

"Do you wish your people to know the answers as well?" She threw her arms out toward the statues that a moment ago were going to kill me.

"Can they hear us?" I asked. "What did you do to them?"

"They can not hear us nor have I done anything to THEM." She laughed as she saw me stare at her. "I remove us from their time and space."

Huh?"

"Your people have learned to travel from one place to another in what seems like seconds correct?"

"Yeah, I can't do that but a lot of them can."

"Just consider this an advanced form of that kind of magic."

"So who are you? An outsider, right? Someone or something from beyond the outer gates."

"I am what you call an outsider. I am sorry that I cannot tell you anything more about my home. It is forbidden."

"Why is it forbidden? What prohibits you from talking to me? You not an all-powerful being then?"

"Please one question at a time, Harry. Your people have caused it to be forbidden. I am not 'all-powerful' but I am human, just like you."

"You are not like me or any other magical person I know," I scoffed.

"You would be like me, Harry, if your ancestors were not cursed by their rebellion."

"What rebellion?"

"It is written in your teachings."

"Teachings?"

"The one I found at the motel, written by the Gideons. I have explained all this to Bob. Seek your answers from him."

- 

It was in a millisecond that I blinked and found myself standing by my desk. The dizziness overwhelmed me. I struggled to find a chair.

"Bob," I wheezed.

"My, my, my, returned so soon?" Bob beamed.

"Bob, I'm lucky to have returned at all." Keeping my eyes closed helped ease the disorientation. "Bob, what do you have to tell me?"

"I take it you are referring to Sally."

"Yeah, you know damn well that I am," I growled.

"Harry, she can do things that is beyond anything we could imagine," He became livid. "We talked for hours yet it was only a matter of minutes in our time. She can …"

"Yeah I know that part. Who is she? Don't tell me an Outsider cause I know that too. Tell me something that isn't forbidden. What are the Gideon teachings? "

"Well it's hard to know where to begin," Bob sighed.

"Try," I said growing more impatient.

Bob paced.

"Harry, the Gideon teachings as you so call them is the Bible. The Gideons place them in all the motel rooms everywhere. I don't recall reading much of it. It doesn't speak too kindly about magic and the craft as we know…"

"Bob what was she talking about?" I yelled.

It came from the tree of knowledge, of good and evil. Many things happened when they ate the fruit but there were two that Sally emphasized. The first was that the couple did become knowledgeable. They understood the magical power that abounds in this world. It was never intended to be accessible to them or us for that matter…"

"Why not?"

"Something to do with a war, territories and other outsiders affairs, didn't grasp all that Sally was saying. We humans were not equipped to handle the responsibilities that come with that much power. The Creator's intention was for mankind to go to the source not the resource," Bob expounded.

Bob brought the message home. "In other words they learned of the power to become wizards."

"Seriously?"

"It is how Sally explained it." Bob threw out his arms and gave me that believe-it-if-you-want look.

"Okay, you said two things happened, what was the second?"

"The oath of the Creator, the Eat and Die one. They died, as in were cut off from the living as they knew it. When they rebelled the outer gates were formed and separated them from the rest of the universe," Bob explained. "Imagine a world where there is still a paradise."

"It makes sense. Here in this huge universe, still growing universe, we think we are the only inhabitants. We are such arrogant bastards," I mused. "So Sally comes from a race of human beings that didn't screw up. So, tell me Bob, if we aren't supposed to know about these outsiders, what is she doing here?"

"Yes, well, that was a mistake."

"Sally said she came here unintentionally."

"We know that beyond the outer gates are unimaginable evils, thus our law prohibiting us opening the gate."

"Don't remind me," I said recalling the High Council's accusations.

"According to Sally, there ARE unimaginable evils out there and one of them tried to send her to… hell for no better word to describe it. Somehow the earth as we know it, was in the pathway," Bob smiled.

"Hell, huh?"

Bob grew serious again. "To Sally it was hell. Think about it Harry, she was thrown into a summoning ring used for calling up nasties. She gazed into the darken soul of her captor, confronted demons, was stabbed, saw the action and intent of the 'good guys' by Ancient Mai and finally beaten and raped. Can you think of a better description for this place by a being that for the most part only knew what is good, what is pure, what is divine?"

That took a moment to digest.

"Bob, did she tell you what she was doing at the motel? She hadn't even slept in the bed. There was strong ward on the door and a glowing light."

"Besides her reading the Bible? I think she said she was communicating with those on the other side."

"What about Perini?" I asked

"What about him?" Bob looked puzzled. "Oh right, Sally failed to say much about him except that if she stays there will be less of his kind around."

"Stay?" I perked up. "She's thinking about staying?"

"Well, not here in this place, Harry, there is hardly room for one as you well …"

Bob hadn't finished speaking when the front door open and four unusual people walked in, one woman and three men, just about as strange to me as they were to each other.

"If you need me, Harry, I will be in the lab." Bob walked through the wall and it didn't seem to disturb these folks at all.

The middle-aged woman was on the plump size but that was the least you would notice after the flamboyant yellow chiffon tent dress, the long amber red hair flowing from under a large yellow hat. She had dangly bracelets striping her bronze arms as well as chunky rings and equally blaring necklaces.

The next was a classy-dressed black man, tall, fit as in there's probably a nice six-pack ripple under the black silk shirt. He wore a stylish black suit, matching tie and shiny black oxfords. The only contrasting color in his appearance was a small white feather in the band of his hat and the white gloves on his hands.

The second man to enter was a young Asian almost the same height and built as the black man but as the first was dressed in black, he was dressed in off-white apparel with deep chocolate hat and gloves.

The final man to enter was one that I recognized from Lucky's. The grey wool overcoat matched the suit beneath as well as his hat. The newspaper reader that paid for my late night lunch.

"Harry Dresden, we finally meet," the last man stepped forward to shake my hand.

"You are…" I hardly registered the tingle of power.

"Chauncey," He turned to the woman and pointed, "Sylvia;" the black man, "Jack," and you met..."

"Don't tell me… Micah" I looked at the Asian.

"What are you, familiars or something?"

"Or something," Sally said as she entered the room.

"Sally."

"Harry."

"The High Council?"

"We came to an understanding," She smiled. "One of them being the charges against you have been dismissed."

That thought was only one of hundreds running through my mind. "Sally, what are you…"

Sally pressed her finger on my lips. "Harry, kiss me."

That's a command, right.

"Harry I have one question."

"Only one, I have hundreds," I said while still holding her in my arms. "What is it?"

"The book has ended, you know who the girl is, sort of; the hero got the girl, sort of; and the bad guys have been vanquished, sort of; is it a good ending?"

"Sort of."


	18. Author's Notes

Chapter 18 Author's Notes

Ending with an odd number of chapters has been bugging me since I posted the final chapter. I'm posting some of my author's notes, now,at the end of the story – just another pet peeve of mine to add A/N at the end of a chapter.

Thank you for reading this lengthy tale. It could have been longer- I cut 1/3 of it out. (Some editing could still render the story better –but at the advice of Jim Butcher himself –"once you write a story don't work it to death…" He was not talking about fanfiction. Fanfiction is a closed topic for him so don't say that I told you differently!

Writing in 1st person POV made it simple to cut out extras. I fear that my readers however, didn't get the depth of character of Sally that I wanted to portray. No biggy- it's a Dresden story.

Last but not least, I had the privilege to meet Jim Butcher and his lovely wife, Shannon, a couple of weeks ago. I was completely blown away by JB's honesty, intelligence and humor. It would take several pages to relay what an inspiration he was. I want to take the time just to mention one comment he made to aspiring writers. Besides reading and writing – a must for all wannabes- is to get yourself known.

Once you have written something that has passed the critical eyes of friends, family and friendly beta/editor and you think it is still publishable, go to conventions. Get some exposure with the people (authors, editors, publishers) of the same genre as your material. Mr. Butcher told of his experience of getting published after his work was first rejected, the difference being that the "people" didn't know him.


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